What if?
by Ottsel Cath
Summary: This is going to be a series of 'what if' one-shots throughout the entire serie of H2O Just Add Water. All of the one-shots will be based on alternate storyline for the show. Here is the summary of the latest one-shot: What if Sophie was hiding a secret of her own and that it was the reason she decided to come to the Gold Coast?
1. I'm Not The Only One

**I'm Not The Only One**

 **(I know I've posted this story before, but I wanted to make it part of this one-shots serie)**

* * *

 **Summary: What if we actually got Bella's side of the story? What if we got to know what was going on in her head throughout the first episode of the third season?**

* * *

My dad did it again. We moved for the eleventh time. I've lived in the United States, in Canada, in France, in Germany, in Italy, in England, in Ireland, in Estonia, in Argentina, in Spain and I just moved to the Gold Coast in Australia. I have a feeling I'm going to love Australia, because I live near the ocean. Why do I love the ocean? It's because of what happened to me when I was living in Ireland. Long story short, I found a weird see cave near the beach on the night of a full moon. I was nine years old at that time. There was a pool of water in that sea cave and the water looked so appealing that I decided to jump in. Then, the moon passed over the pool and something magical happened. The next morning, when I tried to take a bath, I turned into a mermaid. That's when I knew my life would never be the same. I turn into a mermaid every time I touch water; even if it's the smallest drop. Living in England was a pain since it's always raining there. Even living in Ireland was a pain. As I said earlier, Australia is the best place for someone like me, because it's always sunny and the ocean is nearby. I can go for a swim almost every time I feel like it.

Right now, I am walking down one of the beautiful beaches on the gold coast. There are lots a people there, so I must be careful. I'm trying to find a spot where it's safe for me to dive; where people won't see me dive and not come to the surface. The perks of being a mermaid is that I can hold by breath for about half an hour; maybe even more, but I've never tested it. I was walking when I noticed some guy in the water surrounded by what appears to be bubble in the water. It looked like the jets in a spa. Then, all of a sudden, the guy, who was sitting on his surf board, got turned upside down. It didn't seem like it was on purpose. Then, I saw two girls, a blond one with curly hair and a brunette one with straight hair. I saw the blond one do a weird hand gesture; it seemed like she was the one responsible for what happened to the guy in the water. I heard her say:

"Don't you love some holidays?" They walked away and I walked passed them.

I really feel like they are responsible for what happened to the guy. Although, that's impossible. I'm the only one with powers over water. Yeah, I forgot to mention, I can turn water into a jelly kind of substance and harden it to make it look like crystal. Another perks of being a mermaid. Then, something hit me; maybe I'm not the only mermaid in this world.

I decided to keep a close look on these girls; maybe I could find what's going on. I sat on the sand not too far from them so I can see what they're doing, but far enough so they won't think I'm a creep or a stalker. All they did was getting a tan and talk; I couldn't hear what they were saying though. Then, the blond one looked at her phone and they both left.

I decided to continue exploring the beach. I have to find a secluded spot so I can dive in. After walking for about fifteen minutes, I found a spot behind some rocks. It is secluded enough so people won't see me. I dove right in. I missed swimming. I transformed about ten seconds after I dove and I could feel my scales glide through the water. Wow, the underwater world in Australia is so colorful. There so many colorful fishes, corals and sea weeds. I even saw some baby sharks, some dolphins, some turtles, some manta rays and some seahorses. I love this place.

I swam around for half an hour before going back to the beach to dry off and go back to my house. I have to unpack some boxes. After I finally dried off, I got up and headed back to my house. I was walking on a pathway when I saw a guy passing flyers to everyone. As I walked passed him, he gave me one. It was to advertise a new café that is opening tonight. There's supposed to be live singing. I think I'll go, I love music, I love to sing, I could make new friends and I hope I'll see those two girls again.

* * *

I walked in the café, which name is Rikki's, and heard the most horrendous voice ever. I hope this isn't their idea of good music. Then, I saw the guy who gave me the flyer with the blond girl I saw at the beach. This café must be theirs. It seemed like they were arguing about the singer, because they were looking at him almost in disgust. I leaned on one of the pillars in the room while laughing at that poor guy's voice. The saddest part is that he seems really confident and he seems to think he's an awesome singer. Then, he said something to the drummer and he left looking really mad. I feel bad for the blond girl and the boy who gave me the flyer. I don't think things are going as planned.

A bit later, I saw the brunette girl alone, so I decided to introduce myself.

"Great place isn't it?" I said to her.

"Yeah." She said looking a bit skeptical.

"I saw you on the beach this morning." I said. Oops, I look like a stalker now.

"Oh right." Was all she said.

"I'm Bella." I said as I went for a handshake.

"Cleo." She said.

Then, I heard the singer arguing with the blond girl who I think is named Rikki and all I heard was that he was going to sing acapella.

"I don't need a drummer, I'll do it acapella." the boy said. He then walked on the stage to introduce the next song.

"Hello, hello, this one's going out to all the ladies in the house tonight." He said smiling.

"Change that, he'll suck if he does play." Rikki said arms crossed.

"He's not that bad." The boy who gave me the flyer said.

"If you ignore his complete lack of rhythm and that fact that he's tone deaf." I said to complete his statement.

"You sound like you know something about singing?" Rikki said as she turned around to face me.

Then, before I could blink, Rikki took the mic away from Nate and said:

"Nate, meet your new singer." She pointed to me.

"There's no way I'm sharing my mic with anyone… but her." He said as he saw me.

"Now all we need is a drummer." Rikki said.

"Lewis, you should be good, really good." Cleo said to a blond guy.

"Hum… I did when I was ten." He said not so sure about this.

"Great, you and Nate will get along just fine then." Rikki said.

"Him?" Nate asked. "He's hopeless."

The next thing I know, I was on stage getting ready to sing a song I just wrote. I hope Nate will follow my lead and won't mess up.

"Thanks for coming everyone. I would like to dedicate tonight's gig to the girl that I hear is the inspiration for this place: Rikki." I said in the mic. I then proceeded to sing the song titled Who Am I. I sang a couple of other songs then something weird happened.

I was singing a song called Now or Never when I saw a drink falling on the floor in Cleo's direction. The weird thing is that no one knocked the glass over. Something is definitely up and it has something to do with magic. I'm sure of it. Then, I saw Cleo grab Rikki's arm and she dragged her outside. Cleo looked nervous.

* * *

After I finished singing this song, I decided to take a break and to go see the two girls outside. I want to know what's going on, so I'll confront them about it.

"Is everything all right out here?" I asked.

"Shouldn't you be singing?" Rikki asked.

"I thought I should check that you're okay." I said.

"Why wouldn't we be okay." Rikki asked.

"Can you please leave us alone for a few minutes?" Cleo asked. Something is definitely going on and they don't want me to know.

"There's something I need to ask you." I said.

"Whatever it is, it can wait." Cleo said.

"There's something going on here, isn't it, something magical?" I asked.

"That's ridiculous, there is no such thing as magic." Rikki said trying to defend Cleo and her.

Then something came from the canal, it looked like a tentacle or something. It was made of water. It kidnapped Rikki and dragged her into the canal. She was panicking; she screamed for help and I was just frozen in place. Cleo ran to the pier and I followed her. What was she doing? That's when I saw it, I saw Rikki's tail. She was a mermaid just like me. Then, Cleo dove into the canal. That means she's a mermaid too. If I want them to trust me, I have to jump in too. After a couple of seconds, I dove to join Cleo. She looked really shocked when she saw me, then I saw the thing taking Rikki away so I pointed it to Cleo and we started following it.

After swimming for like ten minutes, we arrived at an island and we entered a sea cave. I don't know what her power is, but she started using it on the water thing around Rikki. I decided to do the same. We tried really hard, but it was doing anything. I tried to harden it and it worked. The water thing broke in hundreds of pieces and we swam to the surface.

"Are you okay?" Cleo asked Rikki concerned.

"What was that?" Rikki asked.

"It's gone now." Cleo said.

"Where?" Rikki asked.

Then, they both turned to me realizing they just met another mermaid.

"Nice tail." Rikki said.

"Likewise." I responded.

Then we heard sound that looked like someone breathing and moaning in pain.

"Shh." Cleo said.

We turned to the end of the pool and we saw a guy lying unconscious in the sand.

"Let's go." Rikki said.

"No, he sounds like he could be injured." Cleo said. So she's the nice one and Rikki is the mean one.

"What if he sees us?" Rikki asked.

"We can't just leave him." I said.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this." Rikki said.

* * *

"Hoy, sleeping beauty." Rikki said as she was poking his arm with her foot.

"Rikki!" Cleo said disapproving what she just did.

Then, the guy woke up, gasped and looked really scared.

"It's okay, it's okay." Rikki said.

"What are you doing here?" Rikki asked the boy.

"I came in here diving, but it's different." He said looking everywhere like he was looking for something. Did I say he was the most gorgeous boy I've ever seen? "The wall, the wall was one big waterfall. Lightning or something coming of it. Right here I swear. Something came for me from the pool. Water, i-it attacked me."

"You must've slipped and hit your head." Rikki said.

"No, it wasn't a dream, it was like it was alive, magic or something." He said trying to convince us. I know what he saw is true, but he can't know that.

"You should really go and see a doctor." I said. He walked to the other side of the cave to grab his stuff and then asked:

"What are you guys doing here anyway?"

"The sooner you get checked out the better." Cleo answered. Wow, I know he can't know about mermaids, but it definitely looks like we're hiding something now.

"Are you sure you'll be alright getting back?" I asked realizing that getting back alone wasn't a really good idea in his condition.

"My name's Will." He said.

"I'm Bella." I responded. He then dove into the pool and left.

* * *

The next morning, Cleo and Rikki asked me to meet them at Rikki's. They said we had to talk about last night, our encounter and the fact that we we're all mermaids. When I arrived at the café, I saw the drummer sitting with them; his name is Lewis. Does he know about me? I don't want everyone to know I'm a mermaid. I'll be in so much trouble if I got exposed. Cleo and Rikki started by saying that he has known about mermaids since they transformed so they trust him. They said that he helped them a lot to keep their secret, so I should trust him. I told them everything. I told them how I transformed into a mermaid and explained my powers. They also have powers; Cleo controls water and can create wind and Rikki boils water and can create lightning. That is so awesome. Lewis looked a bit confused.

"You've been a mermaid since you were nine?" He asked.

"Yeah, well, we were living in Ireland at the time; my parents were working do I took off to the coast. And I found this see cave in cliffs and I went into a pool." I said. Then, I used my power on Lewis' drink so they could see it. They all looked really surprised.

"Wow." Was all Lewis said. He put the jellified water on the table and manipulated it.

"Wait, wait, wait. When my bike still had training wheels, you had a tail?" She asked.

"Well yeah, well when did you guys change?" I asked.

"Oh, ages, we've been mermaids for ages." Rikki answered. I don't know why, but I feel like she's lying.

"Do that again." Lewis said as the jellified water turned back into normal water.

"Cool it Lewis, we've got bigger fish to fry." Rikki said. I looked at her surprised.

"So what happened to you guys out there?" Lewis asked.

"Forget everything we thought we knew; we know nothing about Mako, nothing." Cleo said.

"Why? What's changed?" Lewis asked.

"The full moon sent water to attack us." Cleo responded.

"I don't get it." Lewis said.

"Neither do I, but we've got to figure it out before he does." Rikki said pointing to Will.

"Will." I said.

"He was there, he saw whatever it was and that means trouble for all of us." Rikki said.

"Hum.. All of us?" I asked. I mean, they're super nice, but I didn't transform on Mako. I'm not like them.

"You're one of us now Bella." Cleo said. Well I guess I just found new friends.

"Well we haven't really discussed it." Rikki said as Cleo looked at her with disapproving eyes. I guess she doesn't like new people. "Though we'd like it. I mean, if you want to." She said. Nice save I thought to myself.

"Yeah, I'm in." I said. I will be nice to have friends that I have a lot in common with for once and they look really nice. We all smiled at each other. I think this the beginning of an awesome friendship and an awesome adventure.

* * *

 **I've posted this one-shot before, I know. As I said, I wanted it to be part of this 'What if' serie. A new fresh one-shot should be uploaded today or in the next couple of days. I really hope you enjoyed this one and are going to enjoy this serie. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this. Don't forget to review, favorite and follow. It really means a lot to me. By the way, my first language is French, so there are obviously grammar and spelling mistakes. I'm sorry about that...**

 **I will update once in a while when I have inspiration. If you have requests, fell free to ask. I might just write them :)**

 **Peace out :)**


	2. Caught

**Caught**

* * *

 **Summary: What if Sam walked in the bathroom to make sure Cleo was alright in the episode Power Play and saw what Cleo tried to hide from her family for years?**

* * *

Everything happened way too fast on that fateful day.

Sam and Don got married the week before and she was finally moving in with the Sertori's. Don was more than ecstatic about having his new wife with him all the time. Cleo was really happy for them, but Kim was upset. She did not want that woman to take her mom's place. That is why she acted up on that day.

She started by refusing to eat the food Sam was cooking stating it looked bad and then, she decided to lack respect on that morning and to annoy pretty much everyone.

Cleo was peacefully sleeping in when she started to hear someone banging on a door, which woke her up. She tried muffling the sound with her pillow, but it was no use.

"I'm in here." Kim finally answered to the person who was knocking on the door.

"There is no reason why we can't share." Kim heard Sam say from the other side of the door.

"Yes, there is. If you get in here, you'll just jam it up with more of that junk." Kim responded to her annoyed step-mother. "Go use your own bathroom. I don't care if it's being renovated. I'm already sharing it with Cleo and that is bad enough."

Kim rambled on and on.

"Quiet, I think you're gonna wake Cleo." Sam said as Cleo walked out of her room with Kim still rambling in the background.

"Sorry." Sam apologized to Cleo.

"What's the matter?" The mermaid asked.

"I wanna use the bathroom. Your dad's renovating the one downstairs, but Kim won't let me in." Sam answered.

"Why not?" Cleo asked confused by her sister's behavior.

"This is mine and Cleo's bathroom. Wait until she waked up, she'll tell you." They both heard Kim say.

"I am awake, Kim." Cleo said to her little sister.

"And whose bathroom is it?" Kim asked trying to sound clever.

"Ours." Cleo answered. "And I say Sam can use it.

"And I say she can't." Kin told the brunette.

"It's okay. I know she's finding it difficult adjusting. I just thought girls could at least share a bathroom." Sam told Cleo disappointed.

"Of course we can. Leave it to me." Cleo told her step-mother.

She banged on the door rather aggressively.

"That's it, Kim. Now, I wanna use the bathroom too. I'm coming in." Cleo warned the blond on the other side of the door. She tried to open the door, but it was locked. "Is it locked?"

"Can you open it?" Kim asked.

"No." Cleo answered.

"Then it's locked." Kim said smirking.

Later on, when Kim made sure to two older women were away from the bathroom, she took the opportunity to plant a prank on them. She loosened the lid on the tap so the water would spray everywhere when someone opens it. She thought it would be incredibly funny to see Sam or Cleo's reaction to being drenched.

Sam knocked on the door again.

"Yup." Kim said with a huge smirk.

"Kim, you're in there again." Sam stated beginning to be annoyed.

"There is no law against it." Kim answered.

Kim put away the tools she needed for her prank while Cleo walked up to the bathroom only to see Sam waiting.

"I hope you're not in a hurry." Sam said to the mermaid.

"Ugh… Kim." Cleo shouted disappointed and irritated.

At that moment, Kim opened the door and she was smirking a little too much.

"I didn't realize there was queue." Kim said to irritate them even more.

"Do you mind if I go first, I'll be really quick." Cleo asked her step-mother.

"No. You should go in turns. Sam's been waiting ages." Kim said suddenly concerned.

"You're worried about how long Sam's been waiting." Cleo stated ironically. She knew Kim did not care about Sam and only wanted to make Cleo look bad.

"Yeah." Kim answered nodding her head.

"Right." Cleo said.

"It's fine, it's fine" Sam said to the mermaid.

"Thank you." Cleo answered.

The mermaid walked into the bathroom and closed the door carefully. Cleo let out a breath and headed for the sink to brush her teeth. She took her toothbrush and open the tap to wet, but since Kim loosened the lid, the water sprayed everywhere, even Cleo.

"Kim!" Cleo shouted angrily just before her tail appeared and fell down on the floor.

"Is there a problem?" Kim asked.

"Cleo, are you okay?" Sam asked worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Cleo answered.

"Are you sure, I heard a crashing noise. Did you fall?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, but I'm fine." Cleo repeated.

"I'm coming in." Sam said.

"No, you don't need t-" Cleo tried to say, but it was too late.

Sam entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her. When she turned around to look at Cleo, she froze and Cleo had that deer-caught-in-headlights look.

Kim was leaning on the wall laughing and then she left for her room.

* * *

When Sam unfroze, she tried to say something, but she only managed to get a couple of words out.

"You're a… a… mermaid." She choked out.

"Please don't tell anyone." Cleo begged immediately.

"I-I won't." Sam said slowly regaining her consciousness.

"Thanks." Cleo said looking away awkwardly.

Sam looked like she was lost in thoughts for a couple of seconds and then she walked to the edge of the bath to sit down.

"How?" Sam asked Cleo, who was still lying on the floor with her tail.

"It's a long story." Cleo answered and it was true.

"A story I want to hear." Sam answered. "Listen, your dad is leaving for work soon and Kim is going to Lucy's. I think we should talk about this in private."

"You are absolutely right." Cleo said to her step-mother. "Would you mind giving me a towel?"

"Sure." Sam said as she walked to the cabinet and took a towel from it. She handed it to Cleo who rubbed it on her tail. After about a minute, it was finally dried and she got her legs back. Sam stared in amazement.

"I'll be in the kitchen." Sam said.

Cleo got up and walked immediately to her room. She took her phone and dialed Rikki and Bella's number.

"Code red." Cleo said as Rikki answered. She then put Bella and Lewis on the line.

"Code red." Cleo repeated so everyone would hear.

"Someone saw your tail?" Bella asked in a hushed tone.

"Who?" Rikki asked.

"Sam." Cleo answered. "I don't know what to do."

"Tell her everything. She already saw a lot." Rikki said.

"She's gonna tell dad if I tell her everything." Cleo said.

"But she already saw your tail, so she could tell your dad about that." Bella tried to reason he brunette friend.

"So, you're saying I should tell her the entire story? Even about you guys?" Cleo asked carefully.

"I'm not saying I'm happy about this, but she will link us to this somehow even if you don't tell her about us." Rikki said.

"I guess you're right." Cleo said. "She's waiting for me in the kitchen. I'll talk to you guys later."

"Maybe we could meet in the moon pool?" Bella suggested.

"Sounds good." Cleo and Rikki said at the same time.

Cleo hung up and she walked nervously downstairs. Don and Kim were nowhere in sight. Cleo walked to the kitchen table and sat down in front of Sam who had apparently made tea. She handed a cup over to Cleo.

"You're a mermaid." Sam repeated as she looked at her step-daughter.

"Listen, you know telling anyone would be bad news, right?" Cleo asked just to make sure.

"Cleo, I work in the science department, I know what would happen to you if you were exposed." Sam reassured the mermaid.

"Thank you." Cleo said as she sipped her tea.

"How did this happen? I mean you are obviously not born a mermaid since your dad and your mother aren't… mermaids." Sam asked.

"It happened a little bit less than three years ago." Cleo said.

"Wait, does your dad know?" Sam asked.

"No, he doesn't." Cleo answered. "Anyway, it happened on Mako Island."

"I always knew there was something special about that place." Sam commented.

"We ended in the cone of the volcano because I fell in a cave. I couldn't climb back up, so Emma and Rikki joined me." Cleo explained carefully.

"Are they mermaids too?" Sam asked immediately.

"Yes. They are." Cleo answered.

"The only way out of the cave was to swim through a pool of water that leads to the ocean. I was scared of swimming at that time and it took the girls quite some time to get me to swim. When I got in the pool, the full moon passed over the opening of the volcano and the water started to bubble. Bubbles were even floating in the air. The next morning, we got tails as soon as we touched water." Cleo explained shortly, but with all the details Sam needed to hear.

"This is so incredible. And it all relates to magic." Sam said. "I can't believe you were able to keep this a secret from your family."

"There have been a few close calls." Cleo said. "Like that time with you at the beach. I was not upset with you at all. Your hand was wet and you touched my skin, so I knew I was going to transform."

"That makes so much sense." Sam thought. "So you transform when the smallest drop of water touches your skin?"

"Yes. Yes I do." Cleo answered. "It can be a real pain, but it is worth it when we swim out there on the reef."

"I can only imagine." Sam answered. "So, why didn't you ever tell your father?"

"We wanted to keep this a secret. The less people that know, the better. Besides, we haven't been good at keeping the secret." Cleo answered as Sam took a sip of her mug.

"How come?" Sam asked.

"Well, at first, Lewis finding out was a mistake." Cleo said.

"How long has he known?" Sam asked.

"From the almost beginning." Cleo answered. "He's been looking after us, especially on full moons."

"Full moons?" Sam asked.

"Yes. It used to make us do crazy things, like we were posessed and now, it sends water to attack us."

"Anyway, during the first year, a scientist found out about us and kind of kidnapped us. We were able to escape and she left us alone." Cleo.

"Dr. Denman?" Sam asked.

"Yes, how did you know?" Cleo asked.

"I've met her once and she kept talking about mermaids. I thought she was crazy." Sam told the mermaid.

"She was." Cleo said. "At that moment, Zane found out about us. Later on, Lewis's girlfriend, when we broke up, found out about us and turned into a mermaid, but she lost her power. Emma told her boyfriend about us and now, Will knows about us too. He tricked Bella into transforming and she told him the truth."

"Wait, Bella is a mermaid too?" Sam asked. "You never mentioned her name before."

"I know, that's because she transformed in a magical cave in Ireland." Cleo answered.

"So, there is magic everywhere?" Sam stated and asked at the same time.

"So it seems." Cleo said.

Sam then got up and took the tea-pot from the counter and walked to the table, she almost dropped it on the table which made tea leak on the table towards Cleo.

The mermaid immediately stood up and put her hand in front of her to stop the water from dripping on her. She made all the water on the table float in the air and into a ball that she later dropped in the sink.

"How d-did you do that?" Sam asked as she stared at the mermaid.

"Being a mermaid comes with magic powers, too." Cleo said smiling.

"Wow." Sam said. "Can you do more tricks?"

"Not inside." Cleo said and Sam just knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "I can create wind and a storm with the help of the girls."

"This is amazing." Sam said still amazed by her recent discoveries.

There was a silent pause between the two women and it was Sam who broke the silence.

"Are you ever going to tell Don?" She asked in a soft tone.

"I always knew I would have to tell him someday, but I don't know when and how he's going to take it."

"I think you should do it soon. Maybe we could do it together." Sam suggested with a warm smile.

* * *

After Cleo and Sam had the talk, she could not get what Sam said out of her head. Maybe it was time to finally tell her father and maybe even Kim. How will he react after he realizes Sam had known first? One thing is for sure, it is not going to be easy. Cleo walked outside to join the girl in the moon pool, she dove in the canal and swim as fast as she could to her safe haven. When she surfaced in the moon pool, the two blonds were already there.

"How did it go?" Rikki asked immediately.

"Okay, I guess." Cleo said. "I told he the whole story and she did not seem so terrified."

"Do you think she's going to tell your father?" Bella asked worriedly.

"I don't think she'll do it, but she wants me to do it." Cleo responded.

"What?" Rikki asked. "Can't she just keep it to herself?"

"I understand your concern Rikki, but think about how she feels. She found out the biggest secret of my life. The same secret my father and sister don't even know. In a way, since she knows, they deserve to know too." Cleo explained to the fiery mermaid.

"You're not seriously contemplating telling them?" Rikki asked.

"I think she should tell them." Bella intervene. "I've been a mermaid for so long that my relationship with my parents isn't that great. I always have to be so secretive that they get mad at me so often it's just part of our routine. Don and Kim are already so close to finding out. With not tell them before they do it on their own?"

"Yeah, I think you are right, Bella." Cleo admitted. "I should tell them the truth and maybe you should tell your parents."

"Why not tell the world that you're mermaids?" Rikki almost shouted.

"Come on, Rikki. I know this isn't easy to do, but I think it's what's best for my family." Cleo said. "And whatever happens, I'll live with the responsibilities and the consequences."

"Remember when Kim tried to expose us?" Rikki reminded Cleo.

"Wait, Kim knows about us?" Bella asked confused.

"Not exactly. When we first transformed, Cleo wrote a journal with every detail of our transformation in codes and Kim found it. We were able to make her believe it was an assignment and she let it go, but she tried to expose us at a sea queen pageant." Rikki explained to the newest member of their mermaid club.

"She's grown up now. I think she would be able to handle it better." Cleo said.

"Fine. Do it. Meet us later to tell us how it went." Rikki said and Cleo smiled at her comment.

* * *

"I'm ready." Cleo said to Sam as she entered the house.

The older woman just gave her a puzzled look.

"I'm gonna tell dad and Kim, tonight." Cleo said.

"Really?" Sam asked with a warm and happy smile.

"Yeah. You are right. They deserve to know." Cleo told her.

"I'm really proud of you, Cleo." Sam said.

The two women walked downstairs and sat in the living waiting anxiously for Don and Kim to make it home. Don would arrive before Kim, so she would tell him first. She did not know what to expect. She was sure he would be mad at her for lying for so long. After half an hour, they both heard the front door open.

"I'm home!" Don shouted.

He then saw his wife and his daughter who had that something-is-going-on look. He walked up to Sam and kissed her gently and then he kissed Cleo's forehead.

"How are you girls?" Don asked.

"We're great." Sam said to her husband.

"Dad, listen, there is something really important that I need to tell you." Cleo said and his face fell.

"I think you should sit down." Sam suggested as she patted the space beside her on the sofa.

Don looked at Cleo puzzled and then something his eyes lit up in anger. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

"What? No. No. No. No. Don't worry about that." Cleo said. "But what I am about to tell you is even more shocking."

"Nothing can be more shocking than that." Don said.

"Believe me, this is." Sam said as she reassuringly put a hand on Don's thigh.

"You've told me all my life that I can always talk to you, whatever it is." Cleo said.

"Of course." Don said to reassure his daughter.

"Remember when the water police knocked on the door at 2 a.m. because we were stuck on Mako?" Cleo asked him.

"Of course, but that was like 3 years ago." Don stated.

"Something happened to Rikki, Emma and me out there." Cleo said.

"What kind of thing?" Don asked.

"Magic things." Cleo answered sheepishly as she looked down.

"Magic?" Don repeated slowly, but unsurely.

"We ended up in the cone of the volcano, which is a pool filled with water under a full moon and it changed us." Cleo said.

"Changed you how?" Don asked.

"It-it turned us into mermaids." Cleo finally admitted. After that she let out a breath and smiled.

"Mermaids?" Don repeated. He did not quite believe her.

"I can show you." Cleo said.

Don raised an eyebrow and nodded.

The brunette mermaid walked to the kitchen and filled a glass with water. She then walked back to the sofa where she sat down. She dipped her finger in the glass and waited for the change to happen. When it did, Don froze in shock.

"You're a mermaid." Don finally said as he stared at Cleo's golden tail.

"I am." Cleo said.

"Why now? Why didn't you say anything before? You've been keeping this from me for three years?" Don asked a bit more dryly.

"I'm sorry I lied, dad. We did not know how to react to being mermaids so we kept it a secret from everyone." Cleo explained.

"But Lewis knew, didn't he?" Don asked.

"He's known form the beginning, but him finding out was an accident." Cleo admitted and this words hurt her father. She trusted a boy and not him.

"I just can't believe you did not come up to me before." Don said disappointed to his oldest daughter.

"I'm sorry, dad." Cleo said. "You are right. I should have told you before."

"I'm gonna think things through." Don said as he stood and walked to the stairs and to his room.

"Do you think he took it well?" Cleo said as she turned to Sam.

"Better than I thought." She admitted.

* * *

After a couple of hours, Don finally came down to talk to Cleo. They discussed all of the details of her transformation and how she was able to keep this a secret for so long. It was still a huge shock to him. He had difficulties believing that his daughter was a mythical creature and that she can swim under water for hours without coming back for air. She told him about many adventures she lived underwater and how they were the ones who cut the net when there was supposedly a great white shark on the Gold Coast.

They decided that it was time to also tell Kim about all of this.

That is why they were all sitting at the table outside and had a very serious look on their faces.

"Did somebody die?" Kim asked after seeing everyone's face.

"No, but there is something very important that I need to tell you." Cleo said and her sister nodded. "You've got to promise that you are going to keep this a secret at all costs."

"I promise." Kim said and for once, she sounded serious.

"I'm-" Cleo started to say, but she cut her off.

"A mermaid." Kim completed Cleo's sentence.

"Yes." Cleo said. "How did you know?"

"You really think I'm stupid, don't you?" Kim rhetorically asked the mermaid.

"You told her?" Cleo asked Sam and Don.

"No, we didn't." Don responded.

"That's true." Kim answered "I've known since the sea queen pageant."

"What?" Cleo shouted.

"Did you really think I bought that lie you told me? I noticed how you flinched every time a drop of water was near your skin, how you locked yourself in the bathroom for hours, how you always talked about Mako with your friends. I even saw you dive in the canal a couple of times." Kim answered. "You weren't that subtle, really."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Cleo asked shocked.

"I thought I could use it against you." Kim said sheepishly.

"Did you tell anyone?" Cleo asked suddenly panicking.

"No. I didn't. Don't worry about that." Kim answered honestly. "I've even seen you use your powers a couple of times. Do you really think you were subtle every time you made water sprout out of the water bottles in my hands?" Cleo asked.

"I guess not. So that means you'll keep the secret?" Cleo asked.

"Yes, I will. I don't want the Denman affair to happen all over again." Kim said.

"You know about that?" Cleo asked surprised.

"I like to eavesdrop, you know." Kim answered.

"Thank you, for not telling anyone." Cleo said genuinely. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to talk to Cleo and Bella."

With that, Cleo stood and walked to the jetty behind her house. She dove in the canal and she made sure they all could see how majestic and graceful her tail was.

She was somehow happy she did not have to lie to her family anymore.

* * *

 **Hey ya'll! Thank you so much for reading, following and favoriting this one-shot series. It really means a lot to me. If you have any suggestions, feel free to ask, I might just write them. I hope you liked this one and I wished it happened on the show. Their family deserved to know.**

 **Thank you Ant03071998 for the suggestions. I will try to write at least one of those soon, but there is another one-shot I wanna write before that!**

 **Here is the summary for the first one-shot of this series:**

 **I'm Not The Only One:  
What if we actually got Bella's side of the story? What if we got to know what was going on in her head throughout the first episode of the third season?**

 **Peace out :)**


	3. Second Chance

**Second Chance**

* * *

 **Summary: What if it was too late? What if the full moon already passed over the moon pool when they dropped Charlotte in it trying to make her** **lose her tail** **?**

* * *

Cleo, Emma and Rikki let go of Charlotte to make her fall into the bubbling moon pool underneath. This particular full moon would take her powers away and they would never have to worry about Charlotte ever again. At least, that's what they thought.

When Charlotte's feet broke the water surface, the full moon had almost run its course over the moon pool. When her entire body was submerged, the full moon was gone and it was not illuminating the moon pool anymore. The magic left the cave and the water returned to its normal look: no bubbles, no magic, plain, old water. Charlotte felt her transformation happen and she smirked under the water. It was too late. She was still a mermaid. She might have failed to make them lose their tail, but they failed to make her loose hers. They would have to wait fifty years to try and make her lose her tail again.

She swam to the surface and looked at the three girls who were utterly shocked.

"No." Cleo whispered angrily as she saw Charlotte's golden tail.

"Would you look at that, I'm still a mermaid. I guessed you failed to turn me back." Charlotte told them right before she took off. She wanted to get away from them as soon as she could so she could plot another way to get her revenge.

She got home that night extremely furious. Her plan was so simple, but she failed miserably. All she ever wanted was to make the girls, but especially Cleo, lose their tails so she would be the only special one under Lewis's eyes. Being the only mermaid would make her more special than the girls. She might also have wanted to hurt Cleo, because she was incredibly furious that Lewis chose her over yours truly. She wanted revenge and she didn't get it, so she would have to find another way to get it. That's what she thought when she went to bed after the full moon.

When she woke up the next morning, she walked outside to eat breakfast by the pool. Honestly, she wanted to be alone, as in not getting questions on her mood by her mother.

"Charlotte." A soft melodic voice said from the patio door.

"Hey, mom." Charlotte greeted.

"How are you today?" The older woman asked.

"I'm fine." Charlotte responded trying to avoid questions.

"Are you really?" Aneth said as she sat down beside her daughter. "Is it about Lewis?"

"Yeah." Charlotte responded sheepishly. All she ever wanted was for Lewis to care for her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" The blond woman asked.

"I just don't understand why he chose her." Charlotte answered simply. Actually, she did understand, but she did not want to believe it.

"Sometimes things are just not meant to be." Aneth said.

"I guess." Charlotte said. "I tried my best, mom. I really care for him and all I wanted was to make him care for me too."

"Charlotte, you can't force someone to fall in love with you. It seemed like he did like you, but he cares for Cleo more." Her mother said.

"I know, but it makes me angry. I know they have a lot of history and they've been best friend forever, but it doesn't mean they have to end up together." Charlotte said annoyed by the situation.

"No, but there are more chances of them getting together. You said that she really cares for him and that he really cares for her. If Lewis is truly happy, you should be happy for him. I think there is nothing more beautiful than seeing someone you love truly happy." Aneth said to her daughter.

Charlotte thought for a moment before saying her next words.

"I tried to break them up, mom." She admitted looking down.

"I understand that you were upset and hurt, but do you seriously think this was a good idea?" The blond woman asked the mermaid.

"No." Charlotte said.

"Did you expect him to fall for you if you broke them up?" Aneth asked.

"I did." Charlotte admitted embarrassed. "But now, I know that was stupid and that I can't win him back."

"No, but there is no reason for you to not be friends." Aneth said.

"Not after what I did. I'm sure he doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore and Cleo probably won't let me anywhere near." The red-head answered.

"You can always try to apologize to him and to Cleo." The older woman suggested.

"I don't think he'll forgive me and I don't think Cleo would want to talk to me." She answered her mother.

"Or is it because you don't forgive yourself for what you did?" Aneth asked rhetorically.

These words sunk in. Does she forgive herself? She doesn't know, but she knew she needed to do some thinking and there was no better way to do that than to go on a swim. After she made sure her mother was gone, she sat Indian style on the jetty behind her house and looked at the canal.

Something about the water always made her feel at peace and it wasn't just because she was a mermaid. She has always loved to paint the sea and imagine scenarios of the mermaids her grandmother used to tell her about. She always knew there was something special about the sea, but she never once expected to become a mythical creature.

Does she like being a mermaid?

No. She doesn't like it. She loves it. She stood on the pier and dove in the water to explore the beautiful reef near Mako Island.

She adores swimming in the deepest parts of the ocean and meeting amazing sea creatures even if she feared dolphins. Ever since the accident at the Marine Park, she was less scared of them, but she was still scared.

She wished someone could help her through this. She had Lewis to talk to, but now, she had no one. No one beside the girls and Lewis knew about her fishy situation. When she was with Lewis he would help her, and show her the ropes. He tried his best to help her adjust to her mermaid side. Now, she could only rely on herself.

How she missed him. She even missed being part of the mermaid club. She loved it the first couple of days. It made her feel like she was wanted, like she had real friends. She's had lots of acquaintances that she believed were her friends, but when she switched schools, no one called her again. That made her realize how lonely she was.

She realized that her mother was right. If she wanted friends and eventually a relationship, she would have to let go of the bad things she's done and ignore her stubbornness to apologize for what she's done.

She was going to apologize to them, but especially to Cleo.

* * *

It took three days for Charlotte to gather the courage to knock on Cleo's door. She knew Cleo would not forget what she's done and would probably not forgive her that soon, but she had to try. She wanted to make things right. She really did.

Charlotte walked to the front porch of the beige house where her ex-enemy, well she hoped, lived. She rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer it. She was expecting Don or even Kim to answer the door, but the brunette herself did.

"Charlotte." The brunette mermaid said surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I talk to you?" She asked as sweetly as possible.

"S-sure." Cleo stuttered. Charlotte knew Cleo was afraid that she would try and hurt her. She could feel it.

Charlotte walked to the porch swing and sat down on it. Cleo followed her and sat beside the girl who caused her so much troubles.

The atmosphere around the two girls was thick and awkward.

"Listen." Charlotte said as she turned to Cleo. "I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize?" Cleo asked surprised and then she looked at the red-head suspiciously.

"I've done some awful things and I hate myself for it. I never ever should have tried to steal Lewis from you in the first place and I definitely should not have tried to take your tail away." The red-head said to a very surprised Cleo. "I am so sorry for all the troubles I caused."

"Wow, Charlotte. This is very surprising of you." Cleo said wanting to believe her.

Charlotte smiled sheepishly as a response.

"I guess we did not have a good start. You had a right to not like me. I did accuse you of lying at first." Cleo said. "I'm sorry about that. And besides, I broke up with Lewis and you were just interested in him. I was jealous, but you had a right to be with him after what I've done. I might have overreacted a little."

"Thank you, Cleo." Charlotte said with a warm smile. "I know now that Lewis really likes you, and not me. I'm never gonna put myself between you two ever again."

"Thank you, Charlotte." Cleo thanked the red-head.

"Well, I'll be going now. Thank you, for listening to me, Cleo."

"It's my pleasure and thank you, Charlotte, for your apology." Cleo said to the red-head mermaid.

"Oh, and one more thing." Charlotte said as she reached for the pocket of her dress. She took out the silver pendant that was once dangling around Cleo's neck. "I'm so sorry I took this from you. I know it was my grandmother's, but it gave me no right to steal it. Besides, I know how much it means to you."

"You're giving me my locket back?" Cleo asked incredibly surprised.

Charlotte smiled slightly and put the necklace in Cleo's hand without saying a word.

And then, she walked away. She loved that locket and it meant a lot to her, but it was Cleo's and she had no right to steal it.

Charlotte walked home with a smile on her face this went way better than expected. She expected Cleo to reject her and to not want to hear a word she says. What if was all an act? What if Cleo didn't believe a word she said?

Cleo walked back into her house with a faint smile, but extremely confused. Did she just apologize to attack her later? Was it all part of a sick plan? She wanted to believe Charlotte and she looked sincere. Cleo thought that maybe Charlotte had realized that her actions were almost evil and she wanted to make up for them.

* * *

It was now time for Charlotte to apologize to Lewis. She decided to follow her mother's advice and try and be friends with him. She still wanted Lewis in her life and she knew she would need him to help her with her mermaid side.

That is why she found herself walking to the very pier Lewis always went fishing on. He was there and he had a fishing rod in his hands.

She walked unsurely towards him and stood by his side looking at the sea.

"Hi." She greeted the blond.

"Uh. Hi." Lewis said nervously as he turned to her.

"How are you?" Charlotte asked the boy she fell for.

"I'm fine." Lewis answered awkwardly.

"Listen, I really need to talk to you." Charlotte said to the blond.

He furrowed his eyebrows and then his expression softened.

"Yeah, okay, sure." Lewis said quickly.

The ex-lovers sat on the edge of the jetty with their feet dangling over the water. They both stared at the sea for a while without saying any words. Charlotte was trying to find the right words to express her feelings and Lewis was a bit disturbed by Charlotte's presence.

"I wanted to apologize, Lewis." Charlotte finally managed to say. That caused Lewis to turn around and to face her. "When I first met you, you were in a relationship with Cleo and I could tell you really loved each other, but I was also very attracted to you. You seemed like a really nice guy and I really wanted to get to know you. When Cleo broke up with you, I took that as an opportunity to get close to you. I wanted us to be a couple even when I knew you weren't over Cleo. I feel like I might have forced you into a relationship you weren't ready for. Deep down, I knew our relationship would not work out, but I still hoped it would. I knew you and Cleo still had feelings for each other."

"What are you trying to say?" Lewis asked the mermaid.

"That I never should have put myself between you and Cleo. You two are a great couple and are made for each other. I am so sorry, for all the troubles I caused between you two." Charlotte said and it felt like a weight had lifted from her shoulders. "I am also incredibly sorry for what I've done on the full moon. I was just really angry that you and Cleo got back together and I would have done anything to split you up. I know that was awfully wrong and I hate myself for it."

"Wow, Charlotte. I honestly did not expect that from you." Lewis said and it might have irritated Charlotte a little. "Thank you, for your apology, Charlotte. I gladly accept it, but just so you know, I did care for you. You were a really nice girl when we started dating. Things just got out of hand and I… Uh…"

"You cared for Cleo more. It's okay, Lewis. I'm not mad anymore." Charlotte said smiling as she let out a breath. "Thank you so much, Lewis."

"Listen." Charlotte said and it got Lewis's attention again. "I'm still a mermaid and I am sure that I'll need help with this side of my life. Can I still count on your support? You are the only one that knows about me besides the girl anyway."

"Sure, Charlotte. You can always count on me." Lewis said.

"Thank you." Charlotte answered. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah." Lewis answered.

Now, all she needed to do was to apologize to both Rikki and Emma. This part was not going to be easy since they were never that close. Emma really wanted to help her at first, but she soon turned against her. She knew Rikki was going to be the hardest. She never got along with that fiery mermaid and they both despised each other.

* * *

"I don't know what to think." Cleo's voice echoed in the moon pool.

"You say she gave you your locket back?" Emma asked.

"She did and she apologized for everything she's done." Cleo added looking extremely confused.

"Don't believe her." Rikki said.

"She sounded really serious." Cleo said to the stubborn mermaid.

"Hey, guys, you there?" The three mermaids heard Lewis's voice echo through the cave.

Then, they saw a mop of blond hair and Lewis sat cross-legged in front of the moon to talk to the girls.

"Lewis, what are you doing here?" Emma asked.

"Well, I tried to call Cleo and she wasn't answered so I thought that you all might be here." Lewis explained.

"What's up?" Cleo asked her boyfriend concerned.

"Charlotte visited me today." Lewis said.

"Really?" Cleo asked.

"Yes." Lewis responded to the brunette. "She came to apologize."

"She went to my place earlier and apologized to me too." Cleo said. "She even gave me my locket back."

"Wow." Lewis responded. "She apologized for pretty much forcing me into a relationship and for all the troubles she's caused."

"Maybe she's trying to make up for her mistakes." Emma suggested always trying to see the best in people.

"And maybe she's planning to stab us in the back." Rikki added to Emma's suggestion. "I say she can't be trusted."

"We'll have to wait and see." Cleo said.

"What if she's just trying to find a way to expose us." Rikki said.

"Come on, Rikki. If she did that, she would risk exposing herself too." Lewis said to the fiery mermaid.

"I still don't trust her." Rikki said.

"I'm not saying we should become best friends with her, but we can at least accept her apology." Cleo said.

"She did not apologize to Emma and me though." Rikki said. "I'm just saying we should be careful."

"Yeah, I guess you are right." Cleo said.

* * *

Charlotte was standing in front of the house where she caused so much trouble during that last full moon. She had taken things too far and she knew it. The only way for her to have a clean conscience was for her to apologize to Emma.

She walked to the front porch and knocked on the door. Emma's little brother, Elliot, answered the door.

"Elliot, hi. Is Emma home?" Charlotte asked as sweetly as possible.

"She's in her room, I'll go get her. Come in." Elliot said to the red-head mermaid.

Charlotte stood near the door inside and paced until Emma made herself shown.

"Charlotte?" Emma asked surprised as she climbed down the stairs.

"Emma. It's so nice to see you." Charlotte said.

"Likewise." Emma responded politely.

"I need to talk to you." Charlotte said more seriously.

"Sure, why don't we sit in the living room." Emma said after she made sure Elliot was up in his room. Her parents were not home, so it was okay for them to talk about mermaid things.

The two mermaids sat on different couches and smiled slightly at each other.

"I'm sorry, Emma, for everything I have done." Charlotte apologized and Emma's eyes widened a little. "I never should have done what I did on the full moon. I should never have tried to take your tail away. I guess I went power crazy. I am aware for all the troubles I caused and I hate myself for that."

"Wow, Charlotte, what made you realize this?" Emma asked. The others just accepted her apology without saying a word, but Emma wanted to know more.

"Well, it all started because of Lewis and Cleo, I was extremely jealous that they got back together and I wanted to split them up. I know now that it was extremely wrong. It was obvious Lewis still had feelings for her when we were dating, but I ignored it. I made bad decisions from the beginning and I am so sorry for that. I want to make up for my mistakes." Charlotte explained.

"I can see that." Emma said. "You even gave Cleo her locket back. That is very nice and mature of you."

"Thank you, Emma." Charlotte said with a warm smile.

"You know, when I first became a mermaid, I was truly excited about sharing the same secret as you guys. You seemed like such nice girls and I wanted to be apart of your group and I had every reason to be apart of it. That's what I thought, but you guys aren't just friends because you are mermaids. You would have been best friends even if you weren't mermaids. If I never became a mermaid, we would never have been friends for that short amount of time. I am so sorry I kind of forced myself into your group." Charlotte explained and it left Emma speechless for a couple of seconds.

"I think we've all made mistake, Charlotte. We didn't exactly make you feel welcomed, but I still think mermaids should stick together." Emma told the redhead and you could see the faintest of smiles forming on her face and a glint of hope in her eyes.

"Thank you, Emma." Charlotte said for the hundredth time in the last couple of days. "Well, I guess I'll see you around."

"Of course." Emma answered and the redhead mermaid left through the front door.

Somehow, Emma knew Charlotte was being sincere. She could see how much she regretted her actions.

* * *

"I don't want to talk to you." Rikki said to the mermaid she hated the most.

"Then, don't talk, just listen." Charlotte said almost dryly. She knew apologizing to Rikki would not be easy.

The two mermaids were sitting at a table outside the Juice Net Café. Rikki was silently waiting for her mango smoothie when Charlotte walked up to her and sat down in front of her. The café was almost empty and no one beside Rikki was sitting outside.

"I wanted to-" Charlotte started to say, but Rikki cut her off.

"Apologize?" The blond mermaid suggested. "Just so you could stab me in the back later on?"

"Rikki. I really am sorry about my actions and I really regret every thing I've done." Charlotte said genuinely, but Rikki just rolled her eyes. "I know I've been a total idiot and made lots of mistakes and I want to make up for them."

"How about you just disappear from our life and leave us alone?" Rikki asked sarcastically not even bothering to look at the redhead.

Charlotte was refraining herself from saying a snarky remark she would regret later on. She did not need to put more fuel to the fire. She knew Rikki hated her and she knew it would take a long time for her to realize that she did change and do want things to get better.

Amber, one of the waitresses of the café, walked to the mermaids' table to give Rikki her awaited drink.

Somehow, the plate Amber was holding with different drinks somehow lost balance on her hand and the juices fell on the floor, on the table and on Rikki. Charlotte had just enough time to move away.

Rikki looked up at Charlotte with a panicked look in her eyes. Charlotte discretely motioned to Rikki to dive in the nearby water while she distracted Amber.

"I am so sorry." Amber said as she looked at Charlotte.

The mermaid placed herself so Amber would have to look in the café's way instead of the water and talked to her to distract her. Charlotte did keep a close look on Rikki and she let out a breath when she saw the mermaid dive in the water and disappear in the deep blue.

"Why don't I help you clean this up." Charlotte had suggested while Rikki was running towards the water. That is how she found herself crouching on the floor to pick up the plastic glasses making sure they weren't wet by using her powers.

"Thank you, Charlotte." Amber said as the mermaid put the remaining glasses on Amber's plate. "Hey, where's Rikki?"

"I think she went to clean up?" Charlotte said.

"I guess that makes sense." Amber answered.

After that event, Charlotte knew that Rikki would warm up to her a little. At least, she hoped. She did cover for the mermaid and she made sure no one saw her tail.

* * *

Emma, Cleo, Rikki and Lewis were all sitting in Cleo's room as they were discussing about whether to trust Charlotte or not. Obviously, Rikki was against the idea of forgiving her, but Cleo, Emma and Lewis thought it might actually do Charlotte some good.

"Come on, Rikki. It would be better to have her on our side then her against us." Emma said to her blond friend.

"It's just ridiculous. She tried to take our tails away a couple of days ago. She doesn't deserve our trust." Rikki responded to Emma.

"She did take the time to apologize to all of us and she seemed honest." Cleo suggested.

"No. I am not trusting her." Rikki defined.

"Hasn't she ever done something a bit nice for you?" Lewis asked.

"No." Rikki said shifting her eyes to the side.

"You're lying." Emma said.

"Fine, she helped to cover for me today. I got splashed at the café and she distracted Amber while I hid." Rikki admitted.

"Well, there's your answer." Lewis said. "She can be trusted."

"Fine." Rikki said knowing she would lose that fight. "But I am only tolerating her. I don't want to be her friend."

"Fine by me." Cleo answered and Emma smiled.

"You know, she's still a mermaid and she's going to need people to rely on." Emma said as a-matter-of-factly.

"I am not becoming her friend." Rikki stated.

* * *

The next morning, the mermaid trio went to the café to take their usual juices before Emma had to start working. They were not accompanied by Lewis who decided to go fishing. The mermaids were still shook by Charlotte's actions and some part of Emma actually wanted to become her friend, so that why she decided to make a peace offering to Charlotte.

"So, I was thinking." Emma started to say.

"That can't be good." Rikki responded to the other blonde.

"Go on." Cleo asked.

"I was thinking that we should show Charlotte that we call a truce." Emma said confidently.

"And how could we do that?" Rikki said still looking at the magazine that was sitting in front of her.

"I was thinking that we could ask Max to make a fourth locket." Emma said.

"What?" Cleo said surprised and shocked.

"No way." Rikki answered. "The lockets were made for the original three mermaids, because they were special. Charlotte's not special, she does not take the secret seriously."

"Rikki, think about it. The locket Cleo has belonged to her deceased grandmother and it means a lot to her. She did not steal it because she thought it would be a fun thing to do, it was because it had a sentimental valor."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Rikki said sarcastically.

"If we give her a locket it would be saying that we forgive her and that we call a truce." Emma said.

"Emma has a valid point." Cleo finally spoke.

"You're on her side?" Rikki asked annoyed.

"Rikki, she's trying, so should we." Cleo answered.

"Fine." The fiery mermaid answered.

"Good, I was thinking we should use a purple stone." Emma said to the two mermaids.

"Any reason in particular?" Cleo asked.

"Well, Charlotte has all of our powers." Emma started to say. "And the color of the stone in our lockets represent our powers."

"Where are you going with this?" Rikki asked.

"If we mix the three colors together, which are blue, light blue and red, we get purple." Emma said proudly.

"Ah. Very clever." Cleo said.

"Do you think Max will agree to do this?" Rikki asked.

"Why not. She is Gracie's grand daughter." Cleo stated.

"True." Rikki answered.

* * *

While the girls were at the café, Charlotte was talking a walk on the beach all by herself. She wanted to get some time alone to think about everything that was going on in her life. She was glad that the girls and Lewis seemed to forgive her. She hated herself for going power crazy.

She also thought about how she was slowly getting over her fear of dolphins. She went for a swim at least once a day and she often came across a pod of dolphins. She still felt a bit afraid, but she could swim near them now.

She was walking without looking in front of her when she bumped into something, well, someone.

"I'm so sorry." Charlotte said as she looked up to meet the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen.

"It's okay, I was not looking at where I was going either." The boy responded with a genuine smile.

Charlotte smiled at his answer. He had beach blonde hair and quite a muscular body. He looked like the surfer type and honestly, Charlotte thought he was really cute.

"I'm Riley." He said to the mermaid.

"Charlotte." She answered mindlessly.

"Will you forgive me if I buy you a juice?" The boy said with a smirk.

"S-sure." Charlotte stuttered. Why was he being so nice to her?

"Great. I heard there's this great juice bar called the Juice Net Café." The boy said excitedly.

"I'm guessing you're not from here?" Charlotte asked Riley with a small laugh.

"No. I moved here a week ago." Riley answered as the two teenagers started to walk towards the Juice Net.

"Where were you living before?" Charlotte asked interested.

"New Zealand." He responded. "That is a beautiful place, but my family and I were ready for something new."

"I'm sure you are going to love this place." Charlotte said happily.

"I already do. Actually, I've been here about two months ago and I loved the place. It feels so magical." Riley answered and Charlotte nodded. He didn't know _how_ magical it actually was.

"Well, here we are." Charlotte said as the two of them stared at the Juice Net. "It's a beautiful day, how about we sit outside?"

"Yes, of course." The boy responded.

They sat in front of each other at a table where they could easily look at the beautiful canal. Somehow the boy couldn't get his eyes off Charlotte, but when he did look away, he stared at the canal thoughtfully.

"Is everything alright?" Charlotte asked as she noticed Riley staring at the water.

"Yeah, everything is great." He answered. "What do you suggest?"

"Huh?" Charlotte asked.

"For a drink?" The boy answered.

"Oh. The cranberry booster is my favorite." Charlotte said enthusiastically. Lewis had told her about the time the fungus invaded the café and that was why she couldn't get her beloved juice.

"Then, a cranberry booster I shall have." He said theatrically.

Charlotte laughed at Riley's goofiness.

"Charlotte, hey, what can I get you?" The blond mermaid asked Charlotte and the other teenager she did not recognize.

"I'll have a cranberry booster." Charlotte said.

"And I'll have what the pretty lady is having." Riley answered. Emma smiled at his cheesiness, but she also thought it was cute. Emma did notice how Charlotte blushed at his comment.

"Great, I'll be back soon with your orders." Emma said as she walked back into the café.

Emma arrived shortly after with their drinks and smiled in a not-so-subtle way at Charlotte like she was implying something. The two teenagers chatted about almost every detail of their life, of course, Charlotte had to leave a part out, but they both had a really good time. When it was time for them to leave, he obviously asked her for her number because he really wanted to see her again.

When Riley left, Emma almost ran up to Charlotte to get more information about him. She was a little subtler than that, of course. When she could not see him anymore, that's the moment she joined Charlotte.

"So." Emma said suggestively.

"Huh?" Charlotte reacted.

"Who is he?" Emma asked.

"His name is Riley." Charlotte stated.

"He's cute and he's so into you." Emma teased the mermaid.

"Are you going to ask me who he is? What does he know about me? Have I told him I'm a mermaid?" Charlotte asked reminiscing her first week as a mermaid.

"I just wanna know who he is." Emma said. "He seems really nice."

"He is really nice. I met him at the beach earlier today. We bumped into each other and he offered me a juice to apologize." Charlotte said to the blonde mermaid.

"Aww." Emma reacted. "Well, I've got to get back to work, but good luck."

"Thanks." Charlotte responded immediately, but then, she had to ask Emma something. "Wait, you trust me with all this?"

Emma turned around to face the redhead. "Of course, you've turned a new leaf, so have I. Besides, you know the consequences of exposing your secret."

"Thank you, Emma, for trusting me." Charlotte said truthfully.

"My pleasure." The blonde answered.

* * *

Emma, Cleo and Rikki all walked towards the house near the beach were Lewis said Max K. Hamilton lived. They were hoping he would agree to their request.

Cleo knocked on the door unsurely, but the old man opened the door not long after. He looked exactly like Cleo remembered.

"Cleo." The gray-haired man said.

"Max, hi." Cleo said. "This is Emma and Rikki."

"It's nice to finally meet both of you." The man said staring at the two blondes as he shook their hands

"Listen, we have a favor to ask." Emma said.

"Favor?" Max repeated confused. "What could you possibly want from me? Wait, how about you come inside and I make some tea?"

The three girls smiled at the old man and walked into the house. It was small, but it was cozy. He had all sorts of stuff related to the sea. The man led them to the kitchen and the three girls sat down and he poured them some tea.

"About that favor?" Max asked Emma.

"Well, you know we have a new addition to our group." Emma started.

"Gracie's granddaughter, Charlotte." Max said with a smile at the thought of Gracie.

"Yes." Emma said. "I was wondering if it was possible for you to make another locket like ours to give to her."

"Another locket?" Max repeated a bit surprised.

"Well, we thought that since Cleo's locket was Charlotte's grandmother's, we could give her one that looks just like it."

"That's a pretty thoughtful idea." Max said.

"Thank you." Emma answered.

"So, you will do it?" Cleo asked.

"Of course. I don't want her to steal your locket again." Max said.

"I'm sure she won't." Cleo answered.

"You know, you three remind me so much of Gracie, Julia and Louise. It's almost like you have the same personalities. That's why you should keep your lockets. You probably already know whose locket you have, but it fits just right. Gracie was just like Cleo; Julia was like Rikki and Louise was just like Emma." Max told them even if they already knew that.

"Yeah. Miss Chatham told us that before." Rikki said.

"That's why it's only fitting that I create a new one. Being a mermaid is the greatest secret someone could hide and you need support for such a thing. I'm glad you decided to support her even after what happened between you." Max said to the three girls.

"I was thinking the stone should be purple, because it's a mix of all of our stones since she has all of our powers." Emma said proudly.

"No problem." Max said. "It will take about a week or two for me to gather the material and make it." The elder answered.

"Thank you so much, Max." Emma said.

"It's my great pleasure." He answered.

"Well, I think we should go for a swim now." Rikki suggested.

* * *

Three days later, Riley had already called Charlotte back and they decided to meet again. A connection was forming between the two of them and Charlotte was more than thrilled. He seemed like a such a sweet guy. He was a surfer and loved the water and he also loved science and aspires to study biology or marine biology once he graduates. This time, they decided to eat a simple pic-nic on the beach. Charlotte was a great cook after all and she suggested to make the food while Riley brought all the other stuff they needed.

He had brought a huge blanket they will sit on, an iPod to play music and he even brought a lap top if they wanted to watch a movie or something. If you looked at the two of them, you would think they were on a date, but they did not give that name to what they were doing. For them, they were just meeting in a friendly way even if they both knew it was more than that.

"And then, the water police had to come and get me because I was way too far from the shore." Riley said and Charlotte couldn't stop laughing.

"Well, at least now you know that you shouldn't go too far from the shore to surf." Charlotte said still laughing.

Riley was telling her one of his hundreds of adventures about surfing and she loved to hear about what he had to say concerning the ocean since it was kind of her second home.

"Maybe you could show me someday." Charlotte said to the boy whose smile faded.

"Nah, I moved on from surfing." He said in a hurt tone.

"How come?" Charlotte asked him. "You seem so passionate about it."

"Not anymore." He answered nostalgically. At that point, something felt off about him. It was the only time he wasn't joyful and a frown replaced his beautiful smile. Maybe something concerning surfing happened in New Zealand and that's why they decided to move.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Charlotte asked as she put one of her hand on his.

"No. I don't." Riley answered. He flipped his hand and intertwined their fingers.

"You know, Charlotte, it's the first time I feel like I can completely open up to someone. The surfing thing is just a sensitive subject and I am not ready to talk about it. You make me feel special." Riley admitted and Charlotte blushed, hard.

"Well, you do make me feel pretty special too." Charlotte admitted. "I feel this connection between us even if we met a couple of days ago."

"Me too." He said with a warm smile. "Maybe I should take you out on a date soon."

"Maybe you should." Charlotte said to tease him.

"How about tomorrow night?" He asked the mermaid.

"That would be perfect." Charlotte answered.

Charlotte smiled and she could only think about how life finally decided that she could be happy. She was coming at peace with being a mermaid and she called some sort of truce between the girls and herself. For her, it felt like karma was involved: she does good, so life does her good too.

The two teenagers decided to watch a movie for the afternoon and he ended up with his arm around her shoulders. It had been a while since she felt this good. Even Lewis didn't make her feel that good, but maybe it was because she knew he still had feelings for Cleo.

* * *

After Charlotte and Riley went their different way, she decided to go for a swim to think about everything that was happening. She ended swimming to the moon pool and intended to relax there for a bit. When she surfaced, three other mermaids were already there.

"Charlotte." Cleo exclaimed a bit surprised.

"Oh. Hey girls." Charlotte greeted the other mermaids.

"What are you doing here?" Rikki asked.

"I came here to relax." Charlotte said. "And think."

"About what?" Emma asked.

"Oh you know, this and that." Charlotte answered.

"And Riley?" Emma teased.

"And Riley." Charlotte stated and Cleo and Rikki turned around to face Charlotte really interested about what she had to say about him.

"Who's Riley?" Cleo asked.

"A guy I met a couple of days ago." Charlotte said trying not to raise any suspicions.

"A guy?" Cleo teased.

"Yeah, he's really nice and we really hit it off." Charlotte said to the other mermaids.

"Do I sense a new relationship forming?" Cleo asked somehow relieved that Charlotte was finally interested in a guy other than her own boyfriend, Lewis.

"Maybe and maybe we are going on a date tomorrow night." Charlotte said blushing.

"Be careful." Rikki finally decided to speak.

"Don't worry, Rikki." Charlotte said hastily. "I know what I am doing."

"I hope, because if you blow our secret, you're dead meat." Rikki said menacingly.

"Rikki." Emma chastised.

"Don't worry about that. I'm being careful." Charlotte assured the mermaids.

"Make sure you can trust him before telling him about your tail." Emma said.

"Don't worry. I don't want to cause any troubles." Charlotte said.

"I'm glad to hear that." Cleo said to the redhead.

"Well, I have to get home soon." Charlotte said. "I'll see you guys around."

The redhead left the moon pool and swam towards her house. She had to think about what to wear on her date and about ways to make sure she doesn't blow her secret. The only problem was that she had no idea where he was taking her.

* * *

Riley texted Charlotte earlier on the day of her date telling her to meet him at the docks. He said he wanted them to take a walk on the beach before the date. Charlotte accepted gladly even if they were going to be close to the water.

The mermaid decided to wear some jeans which will give her a bit more protection against water. She chose a floral tank top with a blue cardigan. She tied half of her hair in a braid and let the other half loose. She applied only a little bit of makeup, because she liked it natural.

When she was finally ready, she took her purse and walked to the docks where they were supposed to meet. She walked for about five minutes before getting there and he was already waiting there with a single red rose in his hand. She smiled at his sight. He was wearing black pants and a white button-up shirt. He looked dead gorgeous.

"Hi." He greeted her with his signature smile. "You look great."

"Thank you." Charlotte greeted the boy. "You look amazing too."

"This is for you." He said as he handed her the rose.

"You're so sweet." Charlotte said.

The blonde boy took Charlotte's hand between his and intertwined their fingers. She smiled at him and he led her for their walk.

"I know this isn't the most romantic place, but I was walking here the other day and I found this place at the docks that has an amazing view over the ocean and I wanted to share it with you." Riley said to the mermaid.

"No, that's perfect." Charlotte assured the boy. "I love the ocean. It's so pretty."

Riley laughed lightly and they walked towards wherever Riley had in mind. Charlotte had to admit that she was a bit afraid of the place. There were so many fishermen and hoses. She knew deep down that nothing would happen and that she only needs to be careful around those hoses.

Luckily for them, they made it to the place Riley was talking about without any incidents. The both sat on the edge of the jetty with their legs dangling over the water. Once again, Charlotte was lucky because there was at least one meter between her feet and the water.

"Don't you feel peaceful when you look at the sea?" Riley asked Charlotte who snapped out of her thoughts. "It's just so relaxing to listen to the water and imagine everything that could be living down there."

"The ocean is pretty vast and deep so I understand what you mean." Charlotte said. "I'm sure it holds many secrets."

At that moment, Charlotte knew that she wanted to tell him about the mermaid side of her life at some point. She knew doing it now would only put her in danger, but he seems like the kind of person who would keep it a secret.

"Maybe even mermaids live down there." Riley said and Charlotte's eyes widened. It was a good thing that she was looking at the sea and not him otherwise he would've seen her reaction.

"Who knows?" Charlotte answered the boy.

"Have you ever been on the island off shore?" Riley asked the mermaid.

"Mako?" Charlotte asked a bit surprised by his question.

"Yeah. Mako. I've been there once and it's really spooky." Riley said like he was testing the ground or something.

"I've sketched the beaches and the volcano before. It seemed pretty normal to me." Charlotte answered trying to play it cool.

"I guess." Riley answered almost as if he were disappointed. "So, are you ready for the meal?"

"Yes, of course." Charlotte answered.

The teenage boy stood and put his hand in front of Charlotte to help her stand. She gladly accepted his hand, but when she stood, one of her feet slipped on the edge of the jetty and she lost balance. For some reason, instead of hardening his grip on Charlotte, Riley let her hand go almost as if he didn't want to fall in the water. Charlotte, on the other hand, fell in the water beneath the jetty.

All she could think about was: no, no, no, no. no.

She just exposed herself.

She swam to the surface as of instinct after you fall into water and her eyes widened at Riley's sight. He was going to see her transform. The bubble started to surround Charlotte and then the change happened.

Riley stood there completely frozen with wide eyes.

"Y-you're a-a m-mermaid." He managed to stutter.

Charlotte, out of instinct and without really thinking, dove underwater and swam away as fast as she could. She needed to think about what to do. This was not good.

She surfaced in the moon pool only to be greeted by the three best friends that were having a chat.

"You again." Rikki said as Charlotte panted.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked realizing Charlotte looked panicked.

"No. I'm not." Charlotte answered.

"What happened?" Cleo asked actually caring about what she had to say.

"I'm so sorry." She said as tears filled her eyes.

"What did you do?" Rikki asked.

"He saw me." Charlotte said.

"Who?" Emma asked.

"Riley, he saw my tail." Charlotte said.

"What?" Rikki shouted. "I told you to be careful."

"It was an accident." Charlotte answered the fiery mermaid.

"How did he find out?" Emma asked.

"We were sitting on the edge of a jetty and when we stood, I lost balance and fell into the water." Charlotte explained.

"You should've been more careful." Rikki said.

"What happened, happened, Rikki." Emma said almost annoyed with her friend's temper. "How did he react?"

"He looked extremely shocked, but I swam away before he could say anything else." Charlotte said.

"You need to talk to him, Charlotte." Emma said. "Convince him to keep the secret."

"Yeah, I guess I should do that." Charlotte said.

"We'll leave you thinking about it. We were leaving anyway." Cleo said.

"Thanks." Charlotte responded before the three mermaids swam away.

One thing was for sure, she just ruined the smallest of trust that was starting to form between her and the girls. She just had to mess it up and she hated herself even more for it. Riley probably wouldn't even want to see her again considering he saw her mermaid tail. She just wished she could live a normal life without fearing anything. She knew she had to talk to him though. If she didn't, the others would be in danger too.

When she finally decided to leave Mako to go and talk to Riley, she heard footsteps coming from the other side of the cave.

When she turned around, she saw Riley.

"Charlotte." He said. She looked at him confused.

"How did you know I was here?" Charlotte asked. "Wait, how do you know about this place?"

"It's a long story." Riley answered as he sat cross legged on the sand beside the pool. "But I just wanna say that your secret is safe with me."

"You won't tell anyone I'm a mermaid?" Charlotte asked the blonde.

"No. Don't worry about that. I know this will only cause trouble." Riley answered.

"About that story?" Charlotte asked.

"Remember when I told I've been to Australia two months ago?" Riley asked.

"Of course." Charlotte said from the pool.

"One day, I decided to surf on the waves crashing on this island." Riley explained. "After a while, I decided to just swim around a bit. I also love to dive, so I explored around the island a bit and found this place."

"But how did you know a mermaid would come here?" Charlotte asked.

"When I saw the entrance of the cave, I decided to go in. I really wanted to see what was in the cave. I surfaced here, in the pool and decided to explore the rest of the cave. I found out that it also had an entrance from land, but it was too steep for me to climb. The only way to get out was to swim again. When I jumped in the pool and prepared myself to leave, the full moon passed over the cone of the volcano and the pool started to bubble.-" Riley said, but Charlotte cut him off.

"You were here under a full moon?" Charlotte exclaimed. "That means you're-"

Riley stood from where he was sitting and dove straight into the pool. He only surfaced when the magic happened.

"You're a merman." Charlotte said with a wide smile.

She stared at his tail. It was different than hers. For instance, his was blue and seemed even stronger than hers. The details on the tail were a bit different and they were obviously more masculine.

"Why didn't you swim after me, then?" Charlotte asked suddenly questioning his actions.

"I panicked. I didn't know what to do." Riley admitted a bit embarrassed. "But I guessed you would come here since this is probably where you got your tail."

"Wow." Charlotte said thoughtfully. "I never expected you to be a merman."

"And you a mermaid." Riley said. "So I guess we can look after each other since keeping the secret isn't easy."

Charlotte already had people to look out for her, but she didn't know how to tell him or if she should tell him about the girls. They deserved to know about him and he deserved to know about them in a way.

"I guess we could." Charlotte said.

"How long have you been a mermaid?" Riley suddenly asked the redhead.

"A bit more than a month." Charlotte admitted. "How long have you been a merman?"

"About two months." Riley said. "Do you have any powers?"

"Yeah, I have all of them." Charlotte said. "Controlling water, heating it, freezing it, summoning storms."

"Wow, I also have those powers." Riley said.

"Well, you were alone in the moon pool so that's normal." Charlotte said and he looked at her with a questioning look.

"Do you know something I don't?" Riley asked.

"My grandmother was a mermaid and they were three in the moon pool when the magic happened and they only got one power each." Charlotte explained not mentioning the girls.

"Cool." Riley answered. "So, I guess we have more in common than I thought."

Riley swam a little closer to Charlotte so he could put his and on hers. She looked down to look at their hands for a split second and blushed slightly.

"I guess." She answered as she looked up to meet his eyes.

Without saying another word, Riley put his free hand on Charlotte cheeks and leaned in. The mermaid also leaned in and their lips met in a chaste, but sweet kiss. We they broke apart, both of their smiles was wide and true.

* * *

After spending about an hour in the moon pool with Riley discussing every detail of their transformation, Charlotte made it home safe and sound and needed to think of a way to tell the girls about Riley and to tell Riley about the girls without any of them getting mad. If she tells the girls about Riley, Riley is going to be mad and vice-versa.

She finally decided to ask the girls to join her in the moon pool and she will bring Riley with her, so when they surface, everyone is going to be surprised. She thought it was a good plan.

The girls somehow beat her to it though. She received a text from Emma asking her to meet them at the moon pool when she took her phone to text the girls. What if they found out about Riley? Maybe they just wanted to know more about what happened with Riley after he found out she was a mermaid.

She told her mom she was going out and she called Riley to ask him to join her at the beach. Charlotte immediately walked to the beach and sat in the sand waiting for her new boyfriend to arrive. She stared at the sea and she just felt drawn by it. Sometimes, she wondered what it would be like to live as a mermaid in the ocean for the rest of her life instead of living a normal human life.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Riley arrived and kissed her cheek.

"Good morning, beautiful." The teenager said to the mermaid.

"Good morning to you too." Charlotte said as she hugged him.

"So, why did you want me to come here?" Riley asked.

"Can't I just want to see you?" Charlotte asked and the boy raised an eyebrow. "I just wanted us to go for a swim."

"Oh. In that case, what are we still doing on the sand?" He asked with a childish smile.

The two of them made sure there was no one around and then they run to the water. They both had never felt so free.

They swam on the reef for a while and then they swam to the moon pool.

When they surfaced, Charlotte's smile faded. She expected the girls to be in the water, but they were standing on the sand and Lewis was with them.

Riley's eyes widened. Did she just expose him to humans?

"You're a merman?" Emma asked staring at the boy's tail.

"Charlotte, who are they?" Riley asked furiously.

"Riley, this is Emma, Cleo, Rikki and Lewis." Charlotte said.

"What are they doing here?" Riley asked through gritted-teeth.

"Don't worry, they aren't going to tell anyone about your tail." Charlotte tried to assure him, but she could see he was fuming with rage.

Emma was the first to react. "We aren't going to tell anyone, we're mermaids too."

"What?" Riley asked.

"We are." Cleo said to the teenager.

"How is he a merman?" Rikki asked the redhead.

"He was here, in the moon pool, two full moons ago. The one where you all got moon struck and almost told Ash about your secret." Charlotte said.

"Oh." Emma said.

"Were you here on purpose?" Cleo asked.

"No. I was just exploring and ended up here at the wrong place and the wrong time." Riley said. "Is it too much to ask to ask you to show me your tail?"

Rikki raised an eyebrow.

"I just want to be sure I can trust you." Riley said to the mermaids.

"Sure." Emma said.

The three mermaids jumped in the moon pool and waited for their tails to appear.

"Okay, you weren't kidding." Riley said. "How long have you been mermaids?"

"A bit more than a year." Cleo answered.

"What about him, is he a merman?" Riley said pointing to Cleo's boyfriend, Lewis.

"No." Lewis spoke. "But you can trust me. I've known about the girls from the start and I am here to help you all through your transformation."

"Okay then." Riley answered.

"So, why did you guys ask me to come here in the first place?" Charlotte asked looked at the three girls.

"We've got something for you." Emma said.

"What?" Charlotte asked confused.

"We just wanted to tell you that we call a truce and that we forgive you for what you've done. We want you to know that we are here to help you and that we are there for you regarding the mermaid thing." Emma said.

"Thanks, Emma. That really means a lot to me."

"Lewis." Cleo said.

The boy who was still on the sand took a small box out of his pockets and handed it to Charlotte.

"This is for you." Lewis said.

"For me?" Charlotte asked surprised, but she gladly took the box. She opened it and her face fell.

Cleo and Emma smiled at her reaction.

"My own locket?" Charlotte asked excitedly.

"We asked Max to make another one." Emma said. "It is our way to show you we support you."

"I love it. Thank you, so much." Charlotte said with an incredibly wide smile.

"Why the purple stone?" Charlotte asked and Emma smiled proudly.

"It's a combination of all of the colors of our stones, since you have all oy our powers." Emma explained.

"Thank you. I'll cherish it." Charlotte said.

"So now, you are a part of our mermaid club." Lewis said. "And Riley is more than welcomed to join us."

"Mermaid club?" Riley asked.

"We help each other out and stuff. And we go on swim together." Cleo said.

"I'd love to." Riley answered with a grin.

For once since the last full moon, everyone in the moon pool was happy with how things turned out to be. The girls finally could trust Charlotte and they found a merman, which they were all so excited about, but most of all, Charlotte was truly happy that they gave her a second chance.

* * *

 **So that's it. That was the third one-shot of this series. I never expected it to be so long, but I hope you all enjoyed it. If you have any requests, feel free to ask, I might just write them. I am going to write a couple of requests soon. I can't guarantee when they will be published though. Oh, and thanks for the favorites, follows, reviews and especially for reading!**

 **Here are the summaries for the two other one-shot I have written so far:**

 **I'm Not The Only One:  
** **What if we actually got Bella's side of the story? What if we got to know what was going on in her head throughout the first episode of the third season?**

 **Caught:  
What if Sam walked in the bathroom to make sure Cleo was alright in the episode Power Play and saw what Cleo tried to hide from her family for years?**


	4. Sophie

**Sophie**

* * *

 **Summary:** **What if Sophie was hiding a secret of her own and that it was the reason she decided to come to the Gold Coast?**

* * *

For as long as he could remember, Will was always really close to Sophie. They were inseparable siblings and they did everything together. Their parents were grateful that they got along so well. They both loved the sea and everything concerning it. Will was training to become a champion free diver while his sister was just supporting him.

Sadly, everything changed when they visited the Caribbean on their yacht eight years ago. Sophie was fourteen at the time and Will was only ten. The Benjamin family didn't know what happened, but Sophie became distant and lost interest in their adventures on their yacht. She eventually even asked to go live with her Aunt Margaret and go to a real school instead of staying on the yacht. Will was devastated when Sophie left them and he never knew why. He knew it was more than she was letting on, but if she had a secret, she was keeping it very carefully.

It was only eight years later that the Benjamins decided that they should settle in one place so Will could finish high school as a regular student and not as a homeschooled student. Sophie was extremely excited when they told her they were finally settling. She could finally live near her family again. She loved her aunt, but she only asked to live with her because she couldn't be close to water in front of her parents and her brother. She saw her family quite often though. They would visit her every chance they got and she sometimes visited them.

Although, she was thrilled to go back to Australia to live near them again. She was twenty-two now and she had worked enough to be able to rent her own apartment. It was easier to keep her secret that way. She was thinking that it might be the time to tell Will about what happened. She knew he would keep the secret and he knew he would accept her. She wasn't sure about telling their parents though.

Her life changed drastically when they were in the Caribbean's. It all started because Will had to catch up on his homework and couldn't go diving with her. She decided to explore a little island near where they were docked. It wasn't that big, but it took her two hours to visit everything there was to visit. When she was about to leave, she found herself near a rock wall and she noticed it had some sort of opening. Curiosity got the best of her and she decided to go in. She found herself in a dark cave that was filled with sand until she realized there was so sort of opening that led to another part of the cave. On that side, there was a pool filled with water that seemed to connect to the ocean. There was also some sort of opening in the rock ceiling so sunlight could get it. It was also in the perfect angle for moon light to get in. Sophie spent most of that day in the cave observing everything. Eventually, the moon light shone brightly over the pool and it started to bubble up. The fourteen-year-old wanted to feel the water, so she eagerly jumped in. It felt weird and magical, but she never expected her life to change so drastically.

Sophie always loved to go swimming when the sun was rising, so she would be alone with nature. She always got up before Will and their parents. She did as usual and dove in the water to train for a bit. She really wanted to stay fit. When she dove in the water, it felt different. It felt more comfortable than usual. It was only ten seconds after that she understood why. It felt like magic was enveloping her and then, a golden tail replaced her legs. She was somehow turned into a mermaid.

She was extremely shocked by that revelation and didn't know what would happen to her. Would she be like that forever? Was it just a one-time thing? After she got out of the water, she soon realized that she gets her legs back when she's dry, but that the tail would reappear a couple of seconds after her skin comes in contact with water.

She managed to keep her secret for two weeks on the yacht before realizing that it was exhausting and that a mermaid living on a yacht was not such a good idea. She got into lots of fights with her parents and Will because she wouldn't go in the water anymore and she became very distant. She was able to convince her parents that she was fine, but Will didn't buy it. That was why she thought it was time to tell him the truth.

That is exactly why she found herself in front of Will's boat house ready to knock on his door. She landed in Australia two days ago and didn't even take time to settle in. There were two things she really wanted to do: explore the waters around the Gold Coast and telling her brother the truth.

She shyly knocked on the door and she immediately heard some noise and then the door opened in front of her. Every year, her brother seemed to get taller and more muscles. He became a really handsome man and she was sure every girl was drooling over his looks. She knew he had more than looks going on for him though. He was the most understanding and lovable person she knew.

"Sophie!" The boy exclaimed as he saw his sister for the first time in seven months. "It's so good to see you."

"It's so good to see you, too." Sophie answered. "I see you've been working out. How many girlfriends do you have now?"

The two siblings laughed and hugged. It had been a long while since they last saw each other and they both really missed each other's company.

"So, you really decided to settle here?" Will asked interestingly. He was really glad that his sister would be close to him again.

"Yes. Australia has a lot to offer me," Sophie said. "I just got in a business school and I am ecstatic."

"This is good to hear," Will said smiling. "I'm really happy we'll be able to spend more time together again."

"About that," Sophie said nervously.

"What?" Will asked a bit confused.

"I came here to tell you the reason I went to live with aunt Margaret," Sophie said as she sat down on one of the sofas in the boat house. Will walked and sat across from her.

"I thought you were just sick of the yacht?" Will asked a bit surprised.

"I wasn't. Actually, I would've loved to stay with you guys, but I would've put my life at risk." Sophie said carefully.

"Huh?" Will asked, definitely confused.

"A week before I left to live with Margaret, I explored a small island near where we were docked and found a weird cave. I went in and the full moon passed over as I was in the pool of water in the cave. It changed my life," Sophie explained nervously. This was the first time she told someone about her secret. She had never told anyone and no one has ever found out either. She was pretty good at keeping the secret.

"Changed your life how?" Will asked curiously and suspiciously. He had no idea what his sister was on about, but it sounded extremely serious.

"It's better if I just show you," Sophie said as she stood.

What they didn't know at that moment was that Bella was standing near one of the windows and was spying on the two. Will had stood her up to hang out with his sister, but Bella didn't know she was his sister, so she thought he was leading her on. They were supposed to meet at the café to study, but he just never showed up. When Sophie called Will to tell him she would visit him that afternoon, he was so ecstatic that he completely forgot about his study date with the beautiful blonde mermaid.

It was only when she realized that they were coming outside that she tried to run away. She ended up falling in the canal and she swam as fast as she could to the moon pool before they could see her.

Sophie motioned for Will to follow her and they both walked out of his boat shed as they heard a splash. They brushed it off when they realized there was nothing in the water. They stood at the edge of the jetty and stared at the canal passing right beside his place. Sophie took one last glance at her brother before she dove in. She stayed underwater until she felt her legs fuse into her strong golden tail. She swam to the surface and made sure to flick her tail a couple of times so Will could take a good look at it.

He stared at her in shock. There was even a glint of disbelief on his face. He just saw his sister dive into the canal and transform into a mermaid, but somehow, he couldn't believe it. How could she keep this secret for so long without scientists or the media finding out about her?

"You have a tail," Will stated after a couple of minutes. "You're a mermaid."

Sophie looked at her brother trying to find any source of relief. Would he keep her secret? Is he terrorized? Will he accept her?

Sophie swam to the shore and got her tail out of the water. Happily for her, Will didn't hesitate to help her out of the water. He also took that as a chance to observe her tail a bit more. It really seemed like a fish and the scales were as slimy. The tail was perfectly replacing her legs and there was no trace of her human form. She was a mermaid now and she was real.

Sophie smirked as she noticed her brother analyzing everything. Although, she thought it would be fun to traumatize him even more by using her power since he hadn't run away. She used her hand to generate heat to dry her tail and her entire body. Steam rose from her tail and Will gave her questioning look.

"You've got powers too?" He asked, but it was more of a rhetorical question.

After a couple of seconds, her tail was dry and she stood right in front of Will who just stared at her with wide eyes.

"I can't believe you're a mermaid!" Will said again as his sister just smirked.

"I'm so glad I don't have to lie to you anymore!" Sophie said happily.

Later that day, there had been a small incident where Sophie and Bella almost learned about each other's secrets. Bella went for a swim to clear her thoughts and she loved swimming, so she had every reason to be down there. The only problem was that Will and Sophie were also planning to go for a swim. Actually, he wanted to see Sophie in action underwater and he thought it was a great way to explore new places since she would be able to go deeper and find amazing things humans cannot necessarily reach.

Bella was calmly swimming when she heard the motor of a boat roaring over her. She stopped swimming and looked up only to notice the shape of the boat. She had no idea who it was and she didn't want to risk being exposed, so she swam away as fast as she could, again.

On that day, also, Sophie visited Rikki's café for the first time. She thought the place was warm and inviting and she thought the staff looked nice. She decided that she would apply to get a job as a waitress there for many reasons. First, it would be good for her to have a normal job. Second, she would earn the money she desperately needs to pay for her apartment and to cover any other expenses. Third, she really liked the place and she was studying in marketing and business and all, so maybe she would be able to get a promotion as assistant manager, which would be good for her career. She obviously got the job since she tricked the other teens who applied into leaving, so she was the only one ready for the interview.

Will wasn't thrilled that Sophie got a job at the café. It was the perfect place to expose her secret to the world with all the drinks and the dishes. Sophie tried to assure her brother that she would be fine and she reminded him that she had been doing that for a long time. What she couldn't understand was why Will hated Zane so much. He kept telling her that he was bad news and a liar, but she didn't believe him. She wanted the job and Zane seemed to have a personality like hers.

* * *

It had been a week now since Sophie's revelation to Will and he took it pretty well. He obviously agreed and promised to keep her secret and help her keep it. He doesn't want her to end up in a science laboratory. He really cared for his sister and didn't want to put her in trouble.

Of course, it wasn't necessarily easy to accept the fact that she wasn't exactly human anymore and he sometimes forgets that she transformed every time water touched her skin, but he was slowly getting used to it.

It was only when Will told Sophie about what happened to him on Mako island on that fateful full moon that she realized that Mako may be another place like where she became a mermaid. He told her how the three girls found him, but were wearing fancy clothes and all. He said the water attacked him and that everything seemed magical.

Of course, Sophie knew that what Will saw was real. Well, she believed him. She knew magic existed and considering how the full moon used to affect her, it doesn't surprise her that it had other effects, too.

She wanted to go explore with him, but he declined, saying that the three girls and Lewis might find out about her tail and that it wasn't such a good idea. He said he had been there with Bella, but it wasn't such a productive day in terms of finding out what happened to him. Although, he had been out on Mako on the latest full moon and found his torch embedded in the rock walls, which meant what he saw was real.

"So, you believe me?" Will asked his sister.

"Have I ever doubted you?" Sophie asked.

"I guess not," Will said smiling as he sat on a chair outside looking at the canal.

"There is just one thing that bothers me," Sophie said cautiously and it caught Will's attention.

"What?" Will asked straightened his body on his chair.

"Why are Cleo, Rikki, Bella and Lewis trying to convince you it was all a dream, that the place is not magical at all?" Sophie asked her brother.

"Maybe they don't believe in magic?" Will suggested, but that answer didn't please her.

"No, it's more than that. I think they are trying to hide the fact that it exists from you," Sophie said seriously.

"What are you implying?" Will asked suddenly confused by his sister's thoughts.

"I think they know about magic and that maybe they are mermaids, too," Sophie told her brother and his eyes widened.

"What?" Will asked surprised. "You think they are like you? That's crazy."

"Why else would they have found you on Mako on the full moon wearing party close? I think they swam there and since they were dry, they transformed," the redhead answered.

"So you think Lewis is a mermaid?" Will asked confused and disturbed.

"Maybe," Sophie answered. "I'm pretty sure we'd call him a merman though."

And that was how Sophie and Will decided to investigate a bit more. It was obvious that the girls were very close, but maybe it was because magic connected them. Actually, Sophie would find it reassuring that there were other mermaids around. She's only met one other mermaid in her life and it happened not too long ago. Actually, she didn't exactly meet her. She saw her swimming from afar. All she noticed was her golden-blonde hair. She tried to swim after her, but she was too fast. They were both in France and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea when it happened. She never saw another mermaid after that.

The two siblings decided to write in a notebook any of the girl's behaviour that proves Sophie's theory or that are just plain weird for a human being.

When they decided to do that, they noticed lots of things whether it was how Rikki always wore gloves at the café every time she had to touch something wet, how Cleo was way too careful at the marine park and how they somehow always talked about Mako. Will and Sophie heard them whisper multiple times about that mysterious island.

Along the way, Will got to know Bella and he was slowly falling for her. She was the nicest girl he's ever met and she was beautiful, both inside and out. The only thing was that she was acting like she was keeping something from him. It made him wonder more and more if Sophie was right. He really liked the girl and he wanted to know more about her.

"I saw the strangest thing today," Will said to his sister while he sat on one of the sofas of his boat shed.

"What?" Sophie asked.

"I needed to talk to Bella about a school project we're working on together so I went to meet her at Cleo's," Will started to explain.

"So?" Sophie asked her brother almost looking annoyed.

"Cleo, Rikki and Bella were all wearing rain coats," Will said and Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Inside."

"Inside?" Sophie repeated confused.

"Yeah, and then, I was about to leave when I noticed the three of them running on the jetty towards something, but I couldn't see what. I ran to join the girls and I saw Bella doing some weird hand gesture towards something. When I got there, they had a goldfish in a bowl in some sort of jelly. I touched it and it turned to water almost immediately," Will explained trying not to leave details out. "I think whatever I saw was Bella's fault."

"You mean, you think she used magic?" Sophie asked carefully watching her brother's facial expression.

"What else could it be?" Will asked. "Jelly cannot just turn to water in the matter of a second."

"So she has magic," Sophie stated.

"Possibly," Will answered.

"Do you think she's like you?" Will asked referring to his sister's tail.

"Maybe, but jellifying water is not a power I have," Sophie said to her brother. "But maybe a different moon pool equals different powers."

"I think I'm going to question Bella about this," Will asked.

"You think she would trust you with a secret like that?" Sophie asked.

"Why not? She knows I saw her use magic," Will said.

"Okay, but make sure you're focused on our goals and not something else," Sophie said suggestively. She knew her brother was falling in love with the singer. He stared at her in awe every time he saw her and he couldn't stop talking about her.

Will decided to act on it and that is exactly why he invited Bella to his place after she offered him the fossil she found very deep in the ocean. He knew very well that this kind of fossil couldn't wash up on the beach and could only be found in the deepest part of the ocean.

He asked her about it and she insisted that she found it on the shore as she was getting out of the water. He really felt like she was holding something back and he was determined to find out what it was. He asked her about whatever she was hiding and she snapped. She just left the boat shed and decided not to talk to him anymore. He felt a bit hurt since he really liked her, but, at the same time, he couldn't blame her for hiding the fact that she was a mermaid, if that was the case, since it is a pretty big deal.

That's why he was so happy and relieved when they crossed paths at the beach the day after. He convinced her to spend all afternoon with him by telling her wouldn't mention Mako Island or magic. They ended up having a lot of fun. They talked a lot and they really got to know each other better. They both really had fun, until Will decided to go for a swim, that is.

He wanted to test their theory, so he ran to the ocean and went for a swim. He asked her to come with him, but she refused. There were two options now. Either she hated to swim or couldn't get wet to avoid exposing her mermaid tail.

When he got back on the sand, Bella was sitting on a rock waiting for him. They talked for a bit and then, everything changed.

They both got lost into each other's eyes and he knew he wanted to kiss her. He leaned in and cupped her face with one of his hands totally forgetting that it was wet.

As soon as Bella felt the water touched her skin, she excused herself and ran away. She was too fast for Will to do anything. He tried to follow her, but he lost her and he was pretty sure she swam away.

If their theory was true, it would all make sense. His hand was wet, so she was about to turn into a mermaid. She used magic to jellify the water and then it turned back to water. If she wasn't a mermaid, he didn't understand why she acted that way.

"Bella is a mermaid," Will said as he entered his boat shed and saw Sophie.

"You saw her tail?" Sophie asked.

"Well, no," Will responded.

"She told you?" Sophie asked surprised.

"No," Will said again.

"How can you be so sure?" Sophie asked suddenly doubting her brother.

He then proceeded to explain everything that happened between them at the beach and how she ran away right after he touched her cheek with his wet hand.

"And as soon as my hand touched her skin, she ran away!" Will explained for the second time to his sister.

"And you said your hand was wet, right?" Sophie asked for clarification.

"Yes, my hand was wet," Will stated.

"And she ran away right after you touched her cheek," Sophie repeated in her own words.

"Yes," Will answered.

"She has to be a mermaid," Sophie said. "But we still don't have proof."

"I'm gonna meet with her again," Will said seriously. "I wanna know what's up with her and maybe I'd like to spend more time with her."

"And how do you intend to make her tell you the truth?" Sophie asked. She knew how hard it is to keep the secret and how important it is to keep it.

"I'll ask her nicely," Will said and Sophie rolled her eyes. "Or maybe I'm gonna trick her and pour water on her or something."

"Now that we're talking about this, I lived something very strange today," Sophie said to her brother as he raised an eyebrow. "Cleo was talking to me like she was trying to stall me or something. I kept telling her that I needed to get home, but she wouldn't listen. Eventually, I think she ran out of things to say and I leaned on the counter at the café. There was a pitcher of water about thirty centimetres from my arms. I was nowhere near touching it, but it lost balance and the water splashed me. I swear I saw Cleo's hand move when it happened. I think she used magic to make it fall."

"Wait, you got wet, did she see you?" Will asked concerned.

"No, she didn't," Sophie said. "I ran away quickly enough."

"We need to learn the truth about them. Then, maybe we can learn what's going on with Mako," Will said confidently.

After that final statement, Sophie left Will's boat shed for her own apartment while he walked to the café hoping to see Bella. Knowing the truth was one thing, but spending more time with her was another. He really did want to kiss her back at the beach, but, at the same time, he really wanted to know the truth behind her weird behaviour.

When he saw her at the café, he couldn't help himself.

"Bella," Will said with a questioning look on his face.

He walked up to them while Rikki seemed to be strongly talking to Bella.

"Where did you disappear to before?" The teenager asked the mermaid suspiciously. "One minute you were there and the next…"

"We need to talk," Bella said looking and feeling guilty.

The two of them decided that it was better if they talked in private so they went back to Will's boat shed. That way, they would have privacy and Will easily has access to water.

"Okay, talk," Will demanded the mermaid.

"It was really great hanging out with you today, but…" Bella stared to say, but the blond cut her off.

"Where did you have to go that you could swim too fast that than you could walk?" Will asked suspiciously.

"Listen, I can't see you anymore," Bella said seriously and those words somehow hurt him.

"Why?" Will asked. Because she's a mermaid and doesn't want you to find out, that's why, Will thought to himself.

"I don't want to talk about it," Bella answered.

"I can't make you talk to me, but I wish you would. There are-there are so many things about you that just don't add up," Will said to the blonde mermaid.

"I think you're reading way too much," Bella answered beginning to feel nervous.

"The only time I've ever seen you go into the water, you disappeared," Will stated. "I know you're hiding something from me. Whatever it is, I'm not going to judge you. You can't run and hide forever. I know this big secret of yours has something to do with water."

"No," Bella said not sounding convincing at all.

"You're lying to me," Will said sternly.

"No!" Bella said more sternly and more annoyed.

Will grabbed both of her hands between his and stared at her for a couple of seconds. It distracted her long enough for him to take a mason jar filled with water and pour it on her hand.

"I trusted you," Bella said disappointedly as soon as the water hit her skin and realized what Will had done.

She ran out the boat shed and dove in the canal only to be followed by Will.

Game over.

She couldn't hide from him anymore. Instead of torpedoing away, she stayed there and turned around only to see the shock on Will's face.

He got out of the water pretty quickly and she followed him. She owed him quite an explanation. She told him everything about her transformation, from the cave in Ireland to her powers. He knew everything about her now except for the girls. She couldn't risk exposing the girls, so she kept quiet about them even if he asked about them.

Bella felt incredibly guilty about all this. What if he blabbed? What she didn't know was that he would tell his mermaid sister about her.

She immediately ran to the girls after telling Will everything and Rikki was furious about all this. The platinum blonde mermaid didn't trust Sophie at all. She just had a feeling about her and it wasn't good.

* * *

"We were right," Will said to Sophie as she entered the boat shed and walked up to the small table where Sophie was sitting.

"Huh?" Sophie asked, forgetting for a moment what they had been trying to discover for the last week. She was sitting comfortably and reading a magazine before her brother barged in.

"Bella is a mermaid. I saw her tail," Will said and Sophie smiled maliciously.

"Really?" The redhead answered. "That's crucial information. Do you know about the others?"

"No. She said they weren't mermaids and didn't even know about her. She sounded sincere, but, at the same time, she tried to lie about being a mermaid, so it wouldn't surprise me if she lied about that too," Will said as he doodled on a sheet an image of Mako Island. "Maybe she just wants to protect them."

"They don't need protection from me. I'm like them," Sophie said.

"But they don't know that," Will reminded his mermaid sister.

"Right," She answered. "I guess we'll have to investigate more."

Sophie left Will's boat shed an hour later for her own apartment. She loved Will's place, but it was nothing like her new home. Everything was placed according to her tastes and she didn't have to worry about someone seeing her tail. When she was living with her aunt, she constantly had to hide from her and she spent numerous hours locked in the bathroom to experiment with her powers. She was living an hour-long drive from the ocean, so she couldn't swim in a secluded area very often.

While being alone, she thought of a plan to know the truth about the girls and then she would tell them her secret. She doesn't actually expect them to become friends, but it would be nice to have swimming buddies and people to discuss her abilities with.

* * *

She didn't even have to put her plan to action to find out about the girls' tails. It happened on its own. It all started on Rikki's birthday, or the day the café made a special delivery at a shady dock. It turned out the guy paid the café with fake money, and, Rikki being Rikki, she had to go back to tell them and get the money they owed the café. She never expected to find out they were manufacturing fake money and that she discovered their sort of hideout. That was exactly why they kidnapped her and locked her in a small on their boat.

She had tried to contact her friends by texting Cleo "Help," but, instead of texting back, she tried to call her and the boy and his father heard her phone, which resulted in one of them smashing it on the floor.

At that moment, Cleo and Bella knew something was wrong and that's why they asked Sophie where Rikki was, and she told them about the shady guys and the delivery. She told them only Will knew where it was, so the two mermaids ran to Will's boat shed hoping to find information about Rikki's whereabouts.

"We need to know where Rikki is," Bella said.

"She's not here," Will answered, not really caring about what the girls had to say since he and Bella weren't exactly on speaking terms.

"Will, this is serious," Bella said. "Sophie said you picked up some counterfeit money at the wolf?"

"Fake money?" Will asked, surprised.

"We think she went to take it back," Cleo stated nervously.

"You need to tell us everything you know," Bella demanded.

"On one condition," Will said. He knew they wouldn't be happy about that, but he needed to know the truth about them. "Tell me everything you know about mermaids."

Bella looked at Cleo apologetically and they both knew they needed to tell him the truth. They needed to make sure Rikki was safe, so they told him everything.

While they were walking towards the docks, Will kept asking the girl questions about their transformation and then, Sophie interfered.

"What's going on?" She asked them as she saw the urging look on their face. She knew something was going on and that it correlated to Rikki. At first, she thought it was because of her birthday, but then, she knew it was more serious than that.

"Rikki's gone to get back the money and she's not answered our calls," Cleo said, panicking.

"She texted us 'help', but she's not answering her phone anymore," Bella added to make Sophie understand the situation.

"She's probably in trouble," Will told his sister.

"I'm coming with you all," Sophie said. "I could be useful."

Rikki and Cleo glanced at each other nervously. If they had to use their powers to help Rikki, Sophie would probably see and then find out about the mermaid side of their life.

The three teenagers and the young adult ran to the dock as Will showed them the way while Cleo called the police. They couldn't just wait for the police to arrive though. They knew Rikki was in trouble and they needed to get her out of this.

Will distracted the two guys while Cleo swam to the nearest window to locate her friend and Bella also looked around the boat to locate Rikki. Sophie, on the other hand, noticed from the other side of the boat that Cleo was in the water and indeed had a tail. That probably meant Rikki was a mermaid, too. She smirked about her discovery and then joined Bella, Cleo and Will to pull the door open to liberate the blonde mermaid.

"Ow! What kept you?" Rikki asked as she noticed both Will and Sophie's presence. "What are they doing here?"

"There is no time, we've got to go!" Cleo said anxiously as she joined them. She had just entered the other room and noticed a fire was building and that meant they had to leave urgently.

The five of them exited the small boat onto the dock and they all noticed the smoke coming out of it. Cleo warned them that there was a gas tank inside and that it was most likely to explode.

The gang knew their only option was to dive in the canal to avoid the explosion and the flames, so they did.

The tank exploded as soon as their heads touched the water. The four girls felt the water glide on their skin and the transformation occurred only a couple of seconds later. Cleo, Rikki and Bella knew very well that they blew their secret to Sophie. What would she do?

When they turned around to look at her, shock spread throughout their bodies. They noticed the long golden tail that replaced Sophie's legs. The redhead smirked at the three of them and the three mermaids motioned for her to follow them.

They ended up at the canal behind Cleo's house and they got out of the water by the small jetty. Rikki used her power to dry them all and the four of them walked to Cleo's room. Cleo sat on the chair in front of her desk, Rikki sat on the bean bag and Sophie and Bella sat on Cleo's bed.

"So," Rikki said as the tension in the room was getting too high. "You're a mermaid."

"So are you," Sophie answered, looking at the three girls. She was relieved that the four of them now knew about each other. She hoped that they would be able to help each other and to swim together.

"Fair enough," Rikki responded.

"How long—How long have you been a mermaid?" Cleo asked, interested. Lewis's scientific personality had really rubbed off on Cleo and the brunette was thirsty for knowledge about her situation.

"I was fourteen at the time. That was eight years ago," Sophie told the three girls, remembering that special day.

"Wow, we almost changed at the same time," Bella said. "I was nine at the time though."

"Did you guys all change together?" Sophie asked. She was indeed interested in learning more about mermaids and how different their transition was. Even though she had her family, Sophie still felt lonely when it came to the mermaid side of her life. She had no one to talk to about it and even if she did talk about it with Will, he wasn't living it, so it wasn't the same thing.

"No," Cleo answered. "Rikki and I were together. We were also with our friend Emma, but she's not living in Australia anymore."

"I transformed in a moon pool in Ireland," Bella added.

"And you two transformed on Mako?" Sophie asked, putting two and two together.

"Yup," Rikki responded.

"Where did you transform?" Cleo asked. She knew they were probably going to learn even more about the magic surrounding them and she was fascinated.

"On a minuscule island in the Caribbean's." Sophie answered the brunette mermaid.

"Wow, so we know there are at least three moon pools in the world," Cleo thought aloud. "That means there are probably a lot more and that also means there probably are other mermaids!"

"I did see another mermaid when I was in France," Sophie stated.

"Really?" Cleo asked. "It would be so cool to meet others like us!"

"So, what are your powers?" Rikki cut in, suddenly interested in the conversation. The only thing Rikki could think was that it was Charlotte all over again: they met a new girl, they don't get along, Cleo will want her to join their group and she'd be forced to say yes and they would end up in trouble because of her.

"Basic ones: manipulate water, freeze it, boil it, storms, etc." Sophie answered.

"Like Charlotte!" Cleo said and Rikki frowned.

"Who's Charlotte?" Bella asked furrowing an eyebrow.

"One of Lewis's ex-girlfriends." Rikki said. "She found the moon pool a turned herself into a mermaid. She got our powers, but we made her lose her tail when she tried to abuse them."

"You can make a mermaid lose her tail?" Sophie asked, surprised.

"Only on that special full moon every fifty years," Rikki answered.

"Okay?" Sophie answered, unsure of what to say.

A couple of seconds passed before anyone said anything. It was Sophie who finally spoke up.

"So, what happened to Will, it was real, right?" Sophie asked and the three mermaids nodded. "So, what's going on with Mako?"

"We have no clue," Cleo answered.

"A water tentacle is attacking us. It kidnapped Rikki a month ago, and it kidnapped me the month after, trying to turn me into water," Bella explained and Sophie looked even more confused.

"But water isn't supposed to attack mermaids?" The redhead said.

"That's what I said," Rikki added.

"Do you guys have any idea how to defeat it?" Sophie hesitated.

"No," the three girls said at the same time.

"Well, count me in on your search for a way to end it all!" Sophie said enthusiastically.

Rikki turned to Cleo and sighed angrily. Cleo understood instantly that she felt like it was the Charlotte situation all over again. Rikki motioned for the door and Cleo followed her.

They walked downstairs so they could talk without Sophie hearing them. Rikki sat on the counter in the kitchen and Cleo sat at the table, facing Rikki.

"Please don't do this to me again," Rikki said, exasperated.

"Rikki, whether you like it or not, Sophie is a mermaid, and she offered us her help," Cleo tried to reason the fiery mermaid.

"And she's going to stab us in the back!" Rikki retorted. "Just like Charlotte did!"

"This is not the same situation. Sophie has been a mermaid for longer than the both of us. Maybe she can show us a trick or two," Cleo said to convince her friend.

"No," Rikki said.

"I'm not asking you to become her friend. I just want you to let her help us," Cleo said. "Besides, don't you think it would do her good to finally have mermaid friends to talk with?"

"Not. My. Problem." Rikki answered through gritted teeth.

"Listen, Rikki, I know you're not my biggest fan, but I promise you that I do not intend to cause any troubles," Sophie said as she walked down the stairs and headed for the kitchen.

"Right," Rikki said sarcastically.

"Cleo's right," Sophie said. "I've never met other mermaids before and it's nice to finally have someone to share this with."

"Rikki, mermaids need to protect each other," Bella said as she joined the three other girls. "They need to stick together when there is a crisis and there is one."

"Bella's right," Cleo said.

"Fine," Rikki gave in. "You can help us… If you can beat me to Mako."

"That's it?" Sophie asked and Rikki nodded. "You're on."

"Let's go then," Cleo said. "Anyway, Lewis and Zane are waiting for us!"

"Why?" Rikki asked.

"Huh." Cleo said. "It's your birthday."

"Let me text Will to invite him," Bella said. "He's part of the gang now."

"Great, let's go," Sophie said.

The four mermaids ran to the jetty behind Cleo's house and dove in the canal to join Zane, Will and Lewis to finally celebrate Rikki's birthday.

That was definitely a day they would never forget.

* * *

 **Hey there! It's been quite some time since I wrote an H2O one-shot and I'm sorry. I had the writer's block big time. This is a suggestion by Ant03071998 and I've had a little help from DeafAngel2000, so thanks to both of you! This one-shot did not turn out as I thought it would, but I'm still satisfied with it. I hope you enjoyed it! Peace out :)**

* * *

 **Here are the summaries of the other one-shots in order :**

 **I'm Not The Only One:  
** What if we actually got Bella's side of the story? What if we got to know what was going on in her head throughout the first episode of the third season?

 **Caught:  
** What if Sam walked in the bathroom to make sure Cleo was alright in the episode Power Play and saw what Cleo tried to hide from her family for years?

 **Second Chance:  
** What if it was too late? What if the full moon already passed over the moon pool when they dropped Charlotte in it trying to make her lose her tail?


End file.
